Success Story

Cha Mo Oraou, her husband, and three children were forced to migrate annually due to a lack of jobs in their village in Uttar Pradesh, India. They went to work in the harsh conditions of brick kilns, for only $35 to $45. When they returned home, they were unwelcomed in their community because, as Cha Mo explains, migrating is not dignified.

Due to migration, Cha Mo never attended the various meetings in her village, until 2010. She learned from Trickle Up and their local partner organization, that "if your work - vegetable farming - is properly managed, it will give you better earning opportunities [than the brick kiln]." Cha Mo and four other women purchased a manual irrigation pump financed by Trickle Up to grow and sell onions, rice and beans.

Before Trickle Up, she lacked both awareness and confidence in her ability to access government programs like India's National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), guaranteeing up to 100 paid days of employment each year to the rural poor. During the dry months of 2010, Cha Mo did 20 to 25 days of NREGA labor, earning 100 rupees per day.

Cha Mo now saves a portion of her income in her newly opened bank account. Cha Mo has also taken two loans from her Trickle Up savings group, one of which she has repaid, and the other for her children's education. Even more, Cha Mo has become a welcomed, active member of her savings group and her village community at large.