Gowramma and her husband Lingaiah own 15 guntas of land, where they grow ragi. Her husband also works as a daily wage labourer in a nearby town. Gowramma took her first loan nine years ago from Grameen Koota to buy a pumpset for the farmland to get water from a nearby canal.

“With timely water supplied to the crop, ragi has been a more reliable crop for a small land holding like ours,” said Gowramma. Later, Gowramma expanded her source of household income beyond the farmland by adding cattle and sheep. “Sheep is a reliable source of income during the times of emergency,” she explained.

Gowramma said proper utilization of loan amount for the purpose taken is the key to peace of mind. Recalling one of the messages from Grameen Koota’s customer education program Jagruti, Gowramma said Jagruti had advised that any loan would work better only when it was utilized for the purpose altogether. “I’ve learnt that utilizing loan wholly for the purpose taken will give maximum benefit and peace of mind,” she said showing her crop of ragi in her field.