Local Entrepreneurship in Kureili, Madhya Pradesh, India
A local entrepreneur is an individual who starts a business in their local area. Entrepreneurs are important to market economies because they can act as the wheels of the economic growth of the country. Local businesses don’t only build a stronger economy — they also build a stronger community. Relationships between small businesses are important in creating a cohesive, welcoming community identity, with businesses supporting each other.
One of the examples of this is set in a small village called Kureili in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district.
This story starts in 2005, when the Indian Organisation PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action) started their interventions in these areas by forming Self Help Groups (SHG) first. Chandrakali Didi wasn’t willing to join it. She was so scared of talking to people that she used to run away from the backdoor of her house when people used to come to talk to her. It was her husband who actually signed up on her behalf. “I fought with him a lot and asked him why he put my name there. I don’t know what they’ll ask. What all I’ll have to say. Why did you do this?”