What does being a female community entrepreneur in a low-income urban neighborhood mean? For our Sadhikas, it means waking up each day ready to face challenges head-on and still daring to dream bigger.

As part of a powerful reflection activity called “Flowers and Thorns/ Phool aur Kante”, women from the Sadhika project opened up about their journeys- what’s helping them bloom and what still holds them back. A deeply moving look at strength, resilience, and the everyday realities of women pushing boundaries in their communities.

Flowers: Courage, Skills, and Support

The flowers in their stories are full of power. Many Sadhikas spoke about their skills such as tailoring, cooking, beauty services, and even computer training. They added, how they’re using these to build small businesses and support their families.

Statements like “I am a self-motivator” and “I manage money well” are not just reflections but affirmations of identity. For some, having a car, a mobile phone, or even just completing a course became powerful symbols of progress and pride. Their constant gratitude towards their support systems, their families and peer networks. “My father’s support is unconditional,” said one woman. Others credit their mothers, brothers, husbands, and the women they meet along their professional journeys as their pillars.

Thorns: Financial Struggles, Missed Dreams, and Gendered Barriers

As flowers bloom, thorns also grow. Financial hardship is a constant theme, affecting everything from education and housing to basic tools for work. Many women spoke of the pain of interrupted dreams: the desire to be a teacher, nurse, early marriage or lack of resources. They added, in their professional journey, societal judgment often follows.”When I work outside the home, people try to defame me,” shared one Sadhika, echoing a challenge many women know all too well. Balancing caregiving and earning is not just difficult, it can also get isolating.

Still, They Bloom

Despite everything, these women are not giving up. They are starting beauty parlours, taking up community health roles, managing households, raising children, and still holding on to dreams of more. This is not just a story of entrepreneurship. It’s a story of women claiming space, voice, and power- in their homes, in their neighborhoods, and in themselves.