In Thenkurissi, a village in Kerala’s Palakkad district, Anju Sumesh once struggled to make ends meet. Her husband’s income was not enough to meet the daily needs of their children, and the uncertainty of life weighed heavily on the family. But in 2017, something shifted.

That year, Anju joined the Sreelakshmi Sangam, a women’s group supported by ESAF Small Finance Bank’s Thenkurissi branch. She secured an Income Generation Loan of ₹1,00,000 and used it to invest in her family’s small jaggery business. She named it HIMAM Products. What began as a response to hardship soon became something much more.

A turning point came when Anju attended a skill training programme through the LEAP Project (Livelihood & Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program) run by ESAF Foundation. The training focused on the holistic growth of women entrepreneurs. For Anju, it offered new ideas, practical skills, and the confidence to grow her business in ways she had not imagined before.

She set up a small production unit in front of her house along with a modest retail outlet. As she expanded operations, ESAF Foundation continued to support her, helping her obtain an FSSAI licence, an MSME Udyam registration, and a Panchayat licence for small-scale businesses.

As the quality of her products and the reach of her business improved, recognition followed. At the Mahilodaya Exhibition organised by ESAF Foundation, Anju was acknowledged for her efforts by Mr. K. Paul Thomas, the Founder, Managing Director and CEO of ESAF Small Finance Bank.

Today, Anju earns an income of ₹70,000 to ₹85,000 per month. She has also created employment opportunities for four other women from her ESAF Sangam, sharing the benefits of her success with others. She is in the process of acquiring a GST licence, which will allow her to begin selling her products to CEDAR Retail Pvt. Ltd.

Even as her business grows, Anju continues to dream big. She hopes to transform HIMAM Products into a co-operative that includes all the members of her Sangam, allowing for shared leadership and collective contribution. With a focus on sustainability, she has also replaced plastic packaging with eco-friendly paper, improving product quality and reducing environmental impact.

Earlier this year, Anju travelled to Delhi to attend the Grameen Bharat Mahotsav 2025. There, she had the honour of meeting the Prime Minister of India.

Anju credits the ESAF family with playing a central role in her journey. She says she now understands what it means to call ESAF a “social bank”—a vision built through the support of many.

Today, Anju takes care of all her family’s financial needs. Her determination and success have made her a source of pride in the Thenkurissi Panchayat, and a role model for other women aspiring to build independent futures. Her story is a clear reflection of ESAF’s mission—to support marginalised communities with tools, opportunities and belief.