Until a few years ago, the lives of thousands of rural women in the Parihar block of Sitamarhi district, Bihar, were almost identical.

They farmed, reared goats, and fulfilled family responsibilities.

But from buying seeds, fertilizer, and other farming-related materials, to selling their produce, they had to depend on the market and middlemen.

The hard work was theirs, but the profit remained limited.

These very circumstances gave birth to a new idea.