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(1/17) Background: This post is a part of the #NokiaC3forChange initiative. 20 changemakers and their beneficiaries were given smartphones under this initiative to create an impact in their areas of work.
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(2/17) These stories have been recorded after their communities used the smartphones for 30 days.
The story: A year ago, Gujarat-based rice farmer, Alpana Patel, suffered a massive crop failure.
The story: A year ago, Gujarat-based rice farmer, Alpana Patel, suffered a massive crop failure.
(3/17) A resident of Vasan village in Navsari district, she incurred a loss of almost Rs 30,000.
"My household runs primarily on farming. Managing the loss along with paying the education of my kids, became a huge burden," she says.
"My household runs primarily on farming. Managing the loss along with paying the education of my kids, became a huge burden," she says.
(4/17) Like Alpana, many other paddy farmers in the region were severely affected by extreme weather conditions ranging from scanty rainfall to the 2019-cyclone.
(5/17) But while Alpana's story of struggle might be identical to many, it's her journey towards progress that makes her stand out.
(6/17) In the first leg of her journey, she found help in the form of NGO Shakti Foundation that encouraged her to start cultivating short-period crops like cucumber.
Cucumber farming is comparatively cost-effective, requires less water and harvests in just 40 days.
Cucumber farming is comparatively cost-effective, requires less water and harvests in just 40 days.
(7/17) But, selling cucumbers was not enough to make up for the loss. I had to do more, says Alpana.
Recently, she found the silver lining in the form of a unique initiative that has formed the second leg of her journey, the #NokiaC3ForChange.
Recently, she found the silver lining in the form of a unique initiative that has formed the second leg of her journey, the #NokiaC3ForChange.
(8/17) Change: Sonal Rochani, the founder of Shakti Foundation, was selected as one of the 20 changemakers to collaborate with the #NokiaC3forChange initiative to help women farmers like Alpana turn their lives around.
(9/17) Under the initiative, Sonal distributed six Nokia C3 smartphones among such women and conducted a social media marketing training programme to transform them into micro-entrepreneurs.
(10/17) Many of the women come from low-income families. Some even struggle with typing on smartphones, but technology is an essential tool that can change their lives. So, instead of typing, we taught them to use voice messaging options on WhatsApp.
(11/17) They are slowly learning new ways of marketing their products online, from the comfort of their homes. We are also planning to teach them about paid promotions on social media and are working on creating a common platform to sell their products, explains Sonal.
(12/17) Impact: Through various platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, these phones are empowering them to beat several financial challenges, like Alpana, who managed to overcome her loss in just a month!
(13/17) The phone arrived a few months after I started cucumber farming. It opened a window of opportunity to double my earnings. While selling the produce was fetching a decent amount, I had to scale up.
(14/17) I used YouTube to find new ways of reusing the leftover produce and turning it into pickles. The social media marketing training helped me understand how I can sell it online on WhatsApp and other platforms. I earned Rs 25,000 from the sale of pickles in a month.
(15/17)Thanks to better access to technology, these women are even scaling up their business online.
Shamshad Zakir Hussain Mulla, a rose cultivator from Khergam village, rediscovered the potential of her produce when she learned to make Gulkand rose water and face pack, online.
Shamshad Zakir Hussain Mulla, a rose cultivator from Khergam village, rediscovered the potential of her produce when she learned to make Gulkand rose water and face pack, online.
(16/17) "Initially, I would sell them through word of mouth, but my sales doubled on social media. I have also learned how to take good photos of the products, which has increased the sale remarkably," she says.
(17/17) Do you know of changemakers like this who are using technology to create an impact? Nominate them here. You can nominate your own inspiring change story too. The top shortlisted entries will get a Nokia phone! Terms and Conditions apply. https://bit.ly/34bF0hM
