Interviewed By: Jayashree Sapkale, Program Manager
My name is Vikram Deva Patale, and I am 26 years old from Nandurbar district. My family has five members, and we own only two acres of rainfed farmland. Farming gave us income for only four months in a year. For the rest of the year, I worked as an agricultural labourer and migrated to other places in search of work. I earned only Rs.250/- a day, and even after working hard, it was difficult to support my family or save for the future.
I wanted to do something better, but I did not know where to begin.
My life started changing when I joined the Samruddha Kisan Project (Phase II), supported by ASK Foundation and Centre for Youth Development and Activities. During a career counselling session, I learnt about different livelihood opportunities. I realised that learning a skill could help me build a better future.
I enrolled in a 30-day residential Salon and Hair Dressing Training at SBI-RSETI, Nandurbar. The training taught me professional hair-cutting techniques, customer service, and how to run a salon. It also gave me the confidence to start my own business. After completing the training, I did not wait for everything to be perfect. I used my own savings to buy a basic mirror and a few tools and started a small salon. In the beginning, I had very few resources, but I was strong in my decision that I would succeed.
The project team regularly encouraged me and saw my commitment. Later, I received Rs.15,000/- in business support, which helped me buy professional salon chairs, mirrors and a complete salon toolkit. With better equipment, I could provide better services and more customers started visiting my salon. As my income increased, I opened a full-fledged salon in Taloda market. Today, I earn Rs.1,000/- to Rs.1,200/- a day, compared to just Rs.250/- a day earlier. I no longer migrate in search of work. I can stay with my family throughout the year and provide them with a stable income.
Looking back, I feel proud of how far I have come. What began with one training programme and a small investment has grown into a successful business. Today, I have confidence in myself and hope for the future. I truly believe that learning a skill changed my life. I was able to turn my dream into reality. Now, I want other young people in villages to believe that they too can create opportunities for themselves without leaving their families behind.
