By Purushottam Nayak

Berhampur, August 4, 2020: A cancer survivor woman from Berhampur, Odisha, who has made a mark in online business, has been given an award for social entrepreneurship by a leading newspaper company.

Saraswati Singh, 43, has been selected from 6,000 women participants in India for the Times She UnLTD Entrepreneur Awards 2020.

The Times of India, India’s leading newspaper, announced the awards on June 25. The winners included four women—Rashida Raotiwala (West Zone), Namrata Jain (North Zone), Sharu Tazyeen (South Zone) and Singh (East Zone).

While announcing the results, the organizers said, “Congratulations social stars. Let India know the heroes who started from home and now rule the world!”

Referring to the Odisha woman, the organizers said: She took it all as a challenge and decided to fight back. She began her online business and it started expanding beyond her imagination. Now she is a proud entrepreneur who helps her husband in managing household expenses. She insists on finding opportunities amid difficulties and wants to inspire many more women like her who are close to giving up in life.

Singh, a Catholic, had served as an accountant for various firms for 18 years when she resigned in 2016 to look after her 13-year-old son Sushovit and 9-year-old daughter Swatisudha.

Singh told Matters India that she could look after the children better after quitting the job. However, she felt lonely and idle at home when children went to school.

Then came the cancer attack. After diagnosed with breast cancer on May 13, 2018, she had to undergo surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation for the treatment. All these medical procedures weakened her body.

“I went to another doctor to consult for a second opinion. I shared my sickness with the doctor. I was black, had no hair on the head,” she recalled.

As soon as the doctor heard her about her illness, he told her she would not be able to do any work. He advised her not to proceed in any business. “You may not survive for long. Your lifespan will be only for some months. Go back and look after your family. Be happy as long as you live,” Singh recalled the doctor telling her.

The doctor had given her six months to live.

“I did not take the doctor’s words to heart. I just smiled and came out of the clinic,” he said.

She thought of spending time watching spiritual program on television. A new idea stirred in her mind after watching an advertisement about online business. Being at home one can do the online business.

She was strong enough to continue the networking business, so she went to a doctor to advertise her product. At that moment, she was undergoing chemotherapy and she was weak but mentally she was strong, Singh explained.

“So, I thought of doing some networking business, so that I could engage myself. In August 2019 I started my online business. I am so happy that day by day my business is growing,” Singh recalled.

Since then, she never looked back and continues to focus on her business with grit.

Today, she contacts her customers for the reselling of the products such as clothes, jewelry, house furniture or appliance and other household items online. By this, she gets a bonus and margin from the selling of the products.

She created two WhatsApp groups after she was detected with cancer for her business—one for a closed group of people to know their response personally and another for the public. She got better responses from her clients in the business, which motivates her to continue.

She receives 5 percent bonus from selling products worth of 10,000 rupees. She now sells 100,000 of 50 products annually in India and gets a bonus for targeted sales.

Singh earns 15,000 to 20,000 rupees monthly through Meesho, India’s top reselling App from home.

More than 10 million resellers use the App to earn money online. The App is empowering women entrepreneurs, housewives, students and anyone willing, says the company.

“On May 13, I got a call from Meesho saying, ‘Congratulations, you are the winner of City idol of Berhampur, Odisha.”

This award was 1000 rupees in cash.

The company gave one week time for the online selling of the products. She became first in this online business.

“Now I am happy and am living a quality life, free from financial crises. We never know what we can do until we try. Everything possible for a willing heart,” said Singh, who is elated at becoming the winner of East Zone of Times of India. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me,” she said quoting Saint Paul’s letter to Philippians (Philippians 4:13).

Others have praised the Singh’s achievements.

“I salute her will power. She is an example to many household wives who can engage themselves in earning money being at home,” said Anjali Singh, her sister and a member of the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod, who works in Uttar Pradesh.

“Now she is one of the courageous women who put everything to improve her business. She has a passion for the online business,” said the nun, one of the six siblings.

Bharati Bagsingh, a Catholic customer, who knows Singh closely, praised her saying, “She has become one of the inspiring women as a social entrepreneur.”

“Battling with cancer, Singh is engaged in online business. She is inspiring many of us to be productive and a person of hope and strength amid adversity,” she continued.

Bagsingh is one of the 500 women customers of Singh.

According to organizers of the Times award, women in India are breaking the glass ceiling as they prefer to work on their terms and pursue their dreams in businesses, other initiatives, or enterprises.

“Bending archaic gender stereotypes, each of these trailblazers, have a story to tell the world. And, we believe, that the journey of an entrepreneur who started from her own from home or workspace is always an inspiration to many,” organizers added..

Times SheUnLTD Entrepreneur Awards were instituted in 2019 by The Times of India as a platform, to celebrate the women entrepreneurs.

This year, the award showcased the stories of fierce and fearless women who put everything on the line to build their businesses, the organization said.

Hosted in the cities of Mumbai, Delhi NCR and Bengaluru, the award this year focuses on women achievers in Fitness and Wellness, Home and Living, and Travel and Experiences.

These awards honor the incredible women who have paved the way for so many more to follow, leading with their strength, determination, passion, talent and most of all courage. They know that no hurdle can stop them from achieving success and victory.

“The organization has assured me to declare the prize amount of Times SheUnLTD. Entrepreneur Awards soon,” Singh said.