#7|Jagriti: Decoding Bharat 🇮🇳
It takes a dream to get started, desires to keep going and determination to finish.
Read the complete interview transcript through this link- complete transcript
Short story:
Jagriti is no stranger to juggling multiple things at once. Having stayed outside of the home from a young age, she is now working as a Traffic Police and pursuing her under graduation in correspondence in parallel from Bangalore. She is striving towards her long-cherished dream of getting into Government service.
If I have to speak about what I want to achieve, it is to work as a Government employee. After I finish my degree I want to apply to some Government job, that is my goal. This job gives me satisfaction. I have already convinced my parents and asked for a year’s time. My parents are proud to say their daughter has travelled this far and is donning a uniform and working as a Traffic Police.
Financial Journey💰:
• Jagriti comes from a joint family. They own a sugarcane field which functions as their source of income.
• She started earning even though there was no obligation or financial pressure to do so, in order to make a name for herself.
• She convinced her parents to hold off her marriage to pursue her dreams, which exemplifies her determination.
• She sends home a savings of Rs. 15,000 once in 2 months, as she is very driven to contribute to the household income.
• Her salary depends on the location and number of hours she works. She sometimes works overtime to increase her income.
• Food facilities provided by her PG reduce her food spend considerably.
• She cuts down on unnecessary expenses like eating out, visiting malls etc. unlike most peers of her age. She further optimizes her savings by capping her expenses at Rs. 1,000.
• She plans her purchases well in advance and after careful thought. She wants to save up to support her family.
• Jagriti is very mindful of the time she has on her hands, especially since the clock for marriage is ticking.
Snippets from the transcript:
I have not got my family insurance. We are from a village, our knowledge about insurance is limited. In cities, bungalows and big hotels will take up insurance because their spend is also greater. In small villages insurance is unheard of.
I will have to get permission from my folks to make investments. We are accountable to our organization in terms of our finances. They will question us on how we are utilising the amount. We have to live by the rules of our organization. They will track all of our financial journeys.
Credit Sources:
• Jagriti does not have to shoulder any financial responsibility since her family members take care of all financial emergencies.
• She has lent small sums of money to her friends in need but has refrained from transacting huge amounts.
• She is sceptical of investments because of their risky nature. Her family and organisational constraints forbid her from further exploring these options.
I have never experienced financial emergencies even once. Not even once. My parents will handle it. My aunts, uncle and grandmother are also there. We have a field and a house. I do not face any such problems.
Tech Journey💻:
• Jagriti is saving up to upgrade to a smartphone, based on her friend’s recommendation.
• She mostly uses her phone to play games and watch Kannada serials.
• She occasionally reads newspapers.
• She does not engage in online shopping or online payments due to her limited digital literacy.
I know for a fact that it is convenient, I have even heard of Google Pay. But I do not use these apps. When I reach a stage where it is absolutely essential, I will use it then.
Personal Journey 👪:
Lifestyle:
• Jagriti has conversational fluency in Kannada. Her minimal understanding of English and Hindi help in her job.
• She is able to pick up new skills due to her curiosity and openness to experiences. She does tailoring whenever she finds the time.
• She is fond of making handicrafts to beat stress. She makes woollen knick-knacks as decorative pieces for her home.
I wish to be happy and cheerful all the time. Everybody has difficulties. I will not try to dwell on difficulties. I will be happy always. If I am angry at times, I will talk to members of our organization. They will provide us with solutions. They advise me to not get worked up, and assure me that my parents are doing well, that I can speak to them, visit them and so on. When they are this supportive, I cannot be tensed.
Outlook:
• Her current profession has enabled her to gain dignity in society. Her vision of being someone to look up to is turning into a reality thanks to her job.
• Working as a Traffic Police takes her a step closer to her goal of getting into the government service.
• She derives emotional strength from the reassurance and support of her NGO members and her family. She is not afraid to reach out to them.
• She does not dwell too much on her struggles and focuses on what she can do instead. This positive outlook is what helps her move forward.
To read the complete transcript of the interview, please use the following link
Complete interview transcript
About the research:
This documentation is a result of the in-person interview along with the participants’ consent. The interviews might be conducted in their native languages and translated to English in the best possible way to reach a large audience.
Disclaimer: The name in this documentation is masked to honour the privacy of the participant.
About D91 labs:
This research was executed and documented by D91 labs. D91 labs is an open-source initiative by setu.co to help Bharat build great fintech products. We organise and publish user research, insights and frameworks for fintech in India. Please follow us on medium for more exciting stories and insights on Bharat.
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