Meet Babita Rawat, the inspiring mushroom farmer who is transforming the lives of several women in Uttarakhand with a Rs 500 start-up

This 26-year-old from Uttarakhand is not only an entrepreneur, she also empowers other women in her village, and how! Read on to know her inspiring journey.

It's true when people say it's essential for women to uplift other women. And Babita has certainly provided that for women in Umeral village in Uttarakhand. Babita Rawat is another woman entrepreneur who is making it big and taking others with her. Hailing from this quaint village nestled in the hills of Uttarakhand, Rawat is a mushroom farmer. In a place where mushrooms were considered poisonous, she started her own business around them

Inspiring story of Babita Rawat

Everyone has a story about why they do something they do. And for Babit it all started from her family. Speaking to Better India, she said, “Due to my father's heart problems, I had to learn the basics of farming and juggle my studies. I didn't want my family to get into huge debt, so I decided to introduce new crops besides wheat and pulses on our 17 naali (one hectare) land.

Therefore, she started working at the age of 19 due to her father's health. Rawat's unwavering spirit is what keeps her going. She received training from the Ministry of Agriculture and started dairy farming. She engaged in plowing and field work and entered college after running almost 5 kilometers for it.

For Babaita it wasn't just going to villages. She sold milk along the way. After her studies, she visited their farm, participated in the maximum agricultural program and also managed to find time to invest in her studies.

After saving enough, she and her family expanded their farm by sowing and harvesting more varieties of vegetables. They started using organic farming methods.

ultimately mushroom became the best-selling product. Therefore, looking at the requirements and investments in mushrooms, Rawat lauded her journey by investing just Rs 500.

Babita Rawat – A mushroom farmer

Rawat started her experiment in a small room in a remote area in her village. “I first soak the straw in water for a few hours to soften it and remove dirt. After sterilizing and drying, I mix it with the seeds and put it in a poly bag. After 2-3 weeks the mushrooms will begin to germinate. My income from the crop alone is almost Rs 20,000 per cycle,” she says.

Babita hasn't stopped since then. And today she also employs a number of other women in her studio. She trains them and empowers them to be self-sufficient and become a little more independent.

Babita's workshops have become a popular training program in her village and surrounding villages. She has received rewards for her work and today the women under her express their heartfelt gratitude to Babita for making them who they are today.