Rags to riches - real life story of a rag picker of Ahmadabad

WE have seen and heard of many rags to riches stories - they become box-office hits. But, in Ahmadabad, there is a woman who has literally become a rags to riches personality. She is 60-year-old and, until 1981, she worked as a paper picker on the city streets. She made Rs 5 per day and, on rainy and cold days, this measly income would also not materialize.
However, those days have become memories to her because today she heads a cleaners' cooperative with 400 members that provide cleaning and housekeeping services to 45 institutions and societies in Ahmadabad. Her company has an annual turnover of Rs 1 crore!
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 19 November 2015.

The credit for this success goes to Elaben Bhatt-founded Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) - it was instrumental in giving shape to Shri Saundarya Safai Utkarsh Mahila Sewa Sahkari Mandali Ltd (SSSUMSSML). It has 40 women who offer commercial cleaning services.
Their first customer was the National Institute of Design followed by Physical Research Laboratory (PRL).
They have also offered services during Vibrant Gujarat summits in the past.
Once these women used to go about with gunny bags collecting wastes - today those gunny collection bags have been replaced with modern equipment like road cleaners, vacuum cleaners, high-jet pressure, micro-fibre mops, floor cleaners, carpet shampooing machines, scrubbers and extractors.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Moody and the Humpty Dumpty syndrome (satire)

Winning elections is not as simple as making tea (satire)

Indian smugglers are celebs, boast of official doubles (satire)


Tea is a health drink - four cups a day can keep the doctors away

No more 'Rent-a-Womb' in India

Tourist bus ploughs into pedestrians in Union Square, San Francisco - 20 injured


Big B attends 21st Kolkata International Film Festival at Netaji Indoor Stadium

Alisha Chinai adds to the glamour quotient at Wembley Stadium

24th James Bond movie 'Spectre' earns USD 300 million in less than two weeks


Jihadi John killed by a 1000-mph missile striking his car

Edmund Fitzgerald sank in the Lake Superior 40 years back with 29 on board

Bomb in Airbus A321 responsible for Sinai Peninsula crash and 224 deaths