Education can transform lives, and Bhagyabati Kanhar of Budadani village, Phulbani block, Kandhamal, is a testament to this. Though she studied only up to Class XII, her education became the key to her family’s economic and social upliftment.

A member of the Maa Tarini Self-Help Group (SHG) since 2013, Bhagyabati was approached in 2017 to work as a Customer Support Point (CSP) for the State Bank of India. Her role required interacting with customers, and her education made her the ideal choice.

Before this job, her husband’s small-scale farming was the family’s only source of income, leaving them financially vulnerable. With a steady CSP income of INR 3,000–6,000 per month, Bhagyabati invested in agriculture and horticulture on their 2–3 acres, cultivating paddy and vegetables. Their produce, sold at Phulbani, now generates around INR 20,000 annually.

Government schemes strengthened their household security: a pucca house under BPGY/PMAY, electricity, water, gas under Ujjwala, PDS rice, maternity benefits under Mamata, and widow pension under MBPY. The SHG supports livestock rearing and plans for a nursery and eatery business.

Today, Bhagyabati enjoys economic independence, social empowerment, and aspirations to provide quality education for her children and expand her family enterprises, highlighting how education and livelihoods can change lives.