Surrounded by towering mountains in the Nichlagarh panchayat of Rajasthan, Thavri Devi lived much of her life without electricity. Her surroundings were defined by mud huts and rugged, unpaved paths winding through her village.

Married into a family dependent on her husband’s wage as a construction labourer, Thavri felt trapped in a relentless cycle of poverty. Pulled out of school after Class 5, her daily life revolved around household chores and tending to sheep and goats.

But change was on the horizon. A spark of hope ignited when she was introduced to a transformative opportunity – a five-month solar engineering training programme in Harmada. The village needed women for this initiative, and her fellow residents suggested her name.

Thavri’s family was hesitant, but her perseverance convinced them. “Women in our community never went out without a veil, and I had never travelled even to the nearest urban area alone. As I departed, the entire village gathered, teary-eyed. No woman had ever set out alone on such a journey,” she recalls.

Her trip to Kishangarh, marked by her first train ride, was both thrilling and intimidating. “It was an entirely new experience — I felt the journey was endless,” she says.

Guided by her trainers, Thavri mastered the necessary skills for solar installations and fieldwork. When she returned to her village, she was welcomed with elation, but more than just a homecoming, it was a symbolic shift. “We have lived in darkness for years, but now, I wanted to bring light to our lives,” she shares.

Today, Thavri proudly holds the title of solar engineer, earning Rs 5,700 per month. “I’ve been able to bring power to our village. My family, especially my children, beam with pride,” she adds.

Thavri’s impactful work has earned her the esteemed Adi Sewa Gaurav Samman award from the President of India and the Tribal Talent Award from Durga Das, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Like Thavri, more than 300 rural women across 10 states, including Jharkhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Mizoram, and Nagaland, have........

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