Basanti Dei, 47, a Barang resident, has been associated with Adhikar for the last three years. She recalls the   days when she was asked to join a SHG and she refused because of her reservations against microfinance. Dei has five children and her husband is a paddy farmer; two cows add to their meager monthly income. In 2013, Dei joined an Adhikar-enrolled SHG and received her first loan of H15,000. According to her, this loan ushered in a strong financial discipline and savings habit. Dei invested the amount on vegetable cultivation, selling the produce directly to the market, fetching a good income. In the next cycle, she cropped her cultivable area with vegetables, paddy and pulses. Upon the suggestion from Adhikar’s branch manager, she started maintaining a ‘financial diary’ where she notes the monthly expenses and income to arrive at potential savings. This practice has also helped her in planning for forthcoming events such as marriages or school admission fees. She also opened a bank account and started depositing her savings. Recently, she availed a H30,000 loan from Adhikar and  invested in dairy, extending the number of cows to four. Today, she proudly claims that she is financially aware, taking her decisions prudently with the help of her financial diary!