Lilaba Chavda, aged 35, is a resident of Navinal Village in Mundra and belongs to a lower middle class family in the Darbar community. Her family of six persons was sustained by her husband, until he met with an accident. With the sole bread winner in the family forced to take a back seat, managing the household expenses became tougher with each passing day. Lilaba decided to find work but was unsure how and where to begin – until she came across Shree Chamunda Saheli Group, a women’s self-help group (SHG) initiated by the Adani Foundation in her village.

This SHG bridges the gap between women like Lilaba and employment opportunities in government organizations. It does so by enabling them with useful skills and training. She jumped at this opportunity and joined Shree Chamunda Saheli Group in January 2019 along with 8 other women. They participated in various programmes that aided their overall capacity building – they learnt about record keeping, banking, entrepreneurship and most importantly, the spirit of self-reliance. Lilaba was enabled to widen her perspective, understand her strengths and formulate a vision to work towards a better future for her three children.

The advisor and counsellor for this SHG was Deval Gadhvi, who is engaged with the Adani Foundation in accelerating projects related to women empowerment. She is a motivational force behind all the ladies engaged in this SHG. So when word came around about the employment opportunities in Gram Rakshak Dal (GRD), she persuaded and guided Lilaba to take this chance and fill out the application form. She got selected for the next round of personal interview. This was a big deal for her now – with full sincerity and moral support from Deval, she prepared for this round and cleared it too. At a monthly salary of INR 6,000, she started her service at the GRD, Mundra in December 2019.

Shortly after her joining the force, the coronavirus outbreak took India by a storm, forcing a majority of Indians to be locked down in their homes in order to stay healthy and safe. However, certain workers are reporting to duty each day, in the face of a highly contagious pandemic. Amongst such healthcare providers and government servants, are people like Lilaba who are ensuring that law and order is maintained. She is posted in Mundra Town to strictly monitor the lockdown – she is serving the nation while her husband stays home to take care of their kids.

From a homemaker to a corona warrior, Lilaba has come a long way, becoming self-sufficient and leading her life with utmost confidence. Today, she is not only earning a living for her family but also respect from her community. She shares, “Adani foundation acted as a compass in my life. It helped me navigate through troublesome waters and gave me a direction. I am an entirely new person today. And while I do my duty, I request everyone to stay home and be safe”.