Outreach India began working in the village of Bhujabala in January 2023. In many Outreach communities all ages and genders collectively join the community-led development process to create opportunities for everyone. Rashmi, a mother of two sons from a small village of Bhujabala is one of those women. She and her husband take turns working and taking care of their family, but labor work such as planting, construction, or agricultural field work is hard to find. It was the community-led development process that inspired Rashmi to start her own business to support her family.
Gender and Economics
While India is currently the world’s fastest-growing major economy, the benefits of that growth often thin out before reaching rural communities. Rashmi’s daily wage of $2.94 compares to the typical wage for women in unskilled labor work—roughly 30% less than men earn for the same task. In 2024 and 2025, as global supply chains shifted and domestic food prices climbed, this fixed wage changed; a daily income that once covered a family’s staples now barely stretches to meet the rising costs of fuel, healthcare, and education.
According to the Periodic Labor Force Survey (PFLS), the growth in wages for casual labor was just 5.4% in 2025—falling behind the 8.8% growth seen in self-employment. As a result, a new wave of 46% of rural women are now stepping into the workforce. By becoming an entrepreneur in addition to her labor work, Rashmi is part of a historic shift. No longer reliant solely on the shrinking daily wage, she is building her own opportunities to escape a cycle of economic vulnerability.
Education for Women in Rural India
Rashmi began searching for a better job but she did not have the educational background to apply. In the many rural areas like Bhujabala, the path to formal education remains a journey of distinct regional and gender-based divides. In the 2025 PLFS Annual Report, rural women aged 15 and above have completed an average of 9.2 years of formal education, compared to 10.9 years for their urban counterparts. This disparity deepens for older generations; among rural women aged 25 and above, the average attainment drops to 8.6 years. This highlights a recurring narrative in rural India: while basic schooling is becoming more accessible, many women don’t complete secondary education to manage household responsibilities or enter the labor force. For Rashmi, her limited education made her transition into entrepreneurship even more significant as she built a future for her family.
Seeds of Change
When Outreach India started the Outreach Development Process in Bhujabala, Rashmi participated actively in all activities and meetings the Mahima group – her community-based organization. The group had proposed a project to Outreach for a microloan in the village of Bhujabala. The proposal was accepted and the community accessed $3,764.70 that would be distributed to 31 members, including Rashmi. For many years, she had used her micro garden beside her home for vegetables for her family until the microloan. She borrowed $117.64 as initial capital and decided she would grow marigold flowers in her garden. Rashmi carefully prepared the soil, watered the plants daily, and protected them from pests using simple and natural methods. Within a few weeks, bright orange and yellow marigold flowers began to bloom, filling her garden with color and life.
During the festival season from August to November, there is a high demand for fresh marigold flowers for decorations and prayers. Rashmi took her flowers to the local market and was surprised by the demand. It wasn’t long before she sold her first batch of marigolds and earned her own income for the first time.
Leaving the market, she was encouraged by her success and decided to expand her marigold cultivation. Over time, the income from flower sales helped her pay for groceries, clothes for her children, and medicine. Rashmi also saves a small amount each month. To help her with the growth of her flower business she hired fellow community members to help collect flowers from her garden. Within 3-4 months of marigold sales, she earned $83.33 in addition to income from labor work.
“These flowers changed how I see myself—I feel confident knowing I can support my family.” – Rashmi
Today, Rashmi continues to grow marigolds and inspires other women in her village to use their gardens as a source of income and independence. Her marigold garden was a source of both beauty, livelihood, and transformation for her family and the Mahima community.
How to Help
Support women like Rashmi. Change happens when people pave their own futures. With your support, Outreach International can continue strengthening the power of communities and inspire more women like Rashmi.
