Shobha Ramchandra Raut doesn’t know how it feels to walk normally. Her right leg is paralyzed as a result of a bout with polio when she was 10 months old, and she requires crutches to get around.

After consulting with her parents, Shobha decided to move home and start a small grocery store. She again approached Mann Deshi and was readily given her first loan of 15,000 rupees ($375). Shobha’s communication skills and confidence from school stood her in good stead and her business quickly thrived. She paid off her first loan ahead of schedule and took a second one to expand her business into women’s wares, notebooks, and stationary. The store is attached to Shobha’s home, allowing the petite woman to avoid a long commute and stairs. Shobha hangs her crutches in the corner of the shop and greets each customer with a quiet smile as she leans on the counter for support. After 8 years running the shop, Shobha is renowned for the high quality of her products and her friendly demeanor.

Surprisingly, this is not what she cites as her greatest accomplishment; instead, Shobha’s proudest moment came when she decided to pay for her younger brother’s college education. Her father could not afford the computer science fees or a computer, and Shobha decided that she would take another loan from Mann Deshi to ensure that he could continue with his education.