Ananthajothi, 31, has always had the support of her husband who works with her in the dairy business. Their three children, Selvapriya, 13, Yogeswaran, 12, and Vijayamman, 9, have been attending free government schools. “I was born into a poor family and I got married to a poor man. Hence, we have been poverty bound.

To start our business, I sold the little land I had in my name. Now I regret about it, because I cannot purchase a piece of land in view of the high cost. I had a lot of dreams when I got married, but gradually I began to be worried. Something in me has kept urging me to look beyond survival. That remained a force within me to start this business and take a loan from PAT in 2003.” Ananthajothi is determined not to allow her children to suffer the same fate she has in terms of housing, medication and education.

Adjacent villages will provide more clients when Anathajothi can collect and deposit milk by auto. She employs one person now, and anticipates employing two more.