Basanti Biswas – A Culinary Journey

To script a life-changing story wasn’t a cinch for Basanti.  Born into a struggling family, her journey began from Goshaba, the heartland of the Sunderbans – an unforgiving ecosystem where a fragile line separates human existence from peril.  After her family chose to move to Kolkata in search of better living, the usual constraints of migrant families soon began affecting them, disrupting her dreams of receiving formal education.  But, instead of surrendering her hopes for a better life to penury, Basanti showed uncanny resilience to change the narrative. She began to provide part-time cooking services in the Patuli area near the eastern bypass of Kolkata to support her husband, who is a cab driver in the city. This work barely helped them make two ends as the options for livelihood were limited. It was at this juncture Swabhimaan arrived in her life, igniting the spark of change in her quest for a breakthrough.

Armed with the seed fund received under Swabhimaan project, Basanti acquired essential assets such as a chimney and a microwave through manageable EMIs. The Swabhimaan training acted as a catalyst, equipping Basanti with business basics and motivation, setting the stage for her enterprise.

Operating from a small kitchen at Garia, Boral and Baghajatin in southern Kolkata, Basanti is on the way to leaving her hard days behind. Initially trained and hand-held by Impact360, Basanti has shown remarkable pluck to rapidly gain around 50 customers, catering to both college students and the elderly. In this brief period, the enterprise has also helped Basanti save a substantial amount of Rs. 5,000. While she does the cooking, her 24-year-old daughter, Puja, after whom she has named her business 'Puja's Kitchen', does the online promotion and packaging.

Basanti's story is one of quiet triumphs and everyday resilience have become a source of inspiration to women like her who aspire to make a difference.