Small Steps, Big Impact: Rural Entrepreneurs Transform Their Lives In Karnataka

In the heart of rural Karnataka, two remarkable journeys - one of a couple reinventing their livelihood through food, and another of a young mother stitching her way to independence - capture the quiet transformation unfolding in rural India.

At the heart of both stories is Manuvikasa, an NGO committed to community-led development with a presence across Uttara Karnataka, Shivamogga, Haveri, Dharwad, Udupi districts. Supported by EdelGive Foundation, the organization has become a catalyst for livelihood creation through skills, mentoring, and market linkage.

Along a busy highway in Hirehalli village in Mundgod block, the scent of dosas and pav bhaji fills the air from Baby Sumayya Fast Food, run by Noorjahan and Nizamuddin, a couple in their 60s who turned their catering skills into a thriving fast-food business.

Their journey began with a small, rural hotel that struggled due to its location. Everything changed when Noorjahan joined a catering and food entrepreneurship training conducted by Manuvikasa. This recharged their entrepreneurial drive giving them confidence to relocate their venture on a main road, giving rise to a local culinary landmark.

Today, Baby Sumayya Fast Food, named after their granddaughter. earns around ₹2,000 a day and caters for large local orders. Noorjahan can set aside ₹500 daily. With steady income and growing customer demand, the couple has transformed their family’s financial situation and are inspiring neighbours to think about starting their own businesses.

Their journey reflects how skill development, paired with continuous guidance, can unlock livelihoods even for those beyond the ‘working age’.

A few 100 kms away in Shirwada village, 38-year-old Rajamma Kumar Shiggavi is weaving her own story of change. With her husband working as a daily-wage mason and two young children to care for, Rajamma had long dreamt of becoming a skilled tailor.

She owned a basic sewing machine but lacked professional training. She used it to sew simple blouses and petticoats for her neighbours but lacked the skills to design more complex garments like blouses, churidars, and others. Financial constraints prevented her from attending tailoring classes, so she was trying to learn through YouTube tutorials.

When Manuvikasa launched a 60-day tailoring program in her village, she grabbed the opportunity. Apart from technical skills, the program introduced her to entrepreneurship, financial planning, and government support schemes. Throughout the training, Manuvikasa’s staff emphasized the importance of self-employment, shared inspiring stories of other women entrepreneurs, and explained various government schemes. "The information about these schemes was very useful," Rajamma said. "In this class, we learned to design blouses, churidars, umbrella frocks, uniforms, petticoats, caps, and more."

After training, Rajamma opened M.K.S. Ladies Tailor in a rented space for ₹1,500 a month. Her clientele quickly grew - from elderly women to college students and working professionals. Orders grew so rapidly that she hired another woman to help stitch uniforms, paying her fair wages. Rajamma’s monthly income now ranges between ₹8,000–₹10,000, and she recently invested in a new speed machine to keep up with demand. Nowadays, she has so many orders, she has hired another person to stitch uniforms. Recently, she also purchased a speed machine.

Her shop has become a symbol of aspiration for many women in the area — proof that small skill-building opportunities can yield enormous social and economic dividends. Rajamma’s goal is to develop an appealing and innovative shop and to provide a good education for her children.

These inspiring stories from rural Karnataka prove that with the right training and trust, small steps can indeed create big, lasting impact. They share a common thread - the power of local organizations empowered with the right resources and partnerships. Manuvikasa’s ability to identify potential, nurture skills, and sustain livelihoods is made possible through the support of EdelGive Foundation.

EdelGive’s approach represents a shift in philanthropy — from direct aid to ecosystem building. By identifying credible community-based organizations and investing in their long-term capacity, each such collaboration multiplies outcomes — one grant can enable hundreds of lives to evolve through skill, confidence, and enterprise.

For Noorjahan, Nizamuddin, and Rajamma, what began as a small step — a training, a shift in perspective, a chance taken — became a turning point toward dignity and independence. For Manuvikasa and EdelGive, their journeys reaffirm a simple truth: lasting change begins when communities are given the tools to shape their own future.