Small Steps, Big Dreams: Life Through Ripkaben’s Eyes

Mornings in Motikhervan begin before sunrise, when the courtyard stirs with soft voices and the scent of wet hay. Gamit Ripkaben stands at the threshold of her parents’ home, sari pinned tight, hair damp from hurried bathing. The chill in the air mixes with the warmth of fresh milk, carried from the shed where she feeds and cleans the restless animals. In her world, animal husbandry is not a choice—it’s a necessity.

Six people share this house: parents, siblings, her young son, and herself. The rooms echo with footsteps and whispers, radios humming, the promise of chai on the stove. Her son, still sleepy, nestles against her as she smooths his hair and packs his school bag. Her daughter’s laughter, distant but familiar, drifts from her in-law’s house, where she stays for now. Ripkaben visits when she can, the journey long, each step heavy with longing and a mother’s worry.

Their home stands on land owned by ancestors. Electricity flickers. Water spills from a cracked tap into steel pots lined along the wall. The air carries the mingled scent of dung fires, turmeric, and rain-soaked earth. Here, she bends beside her parents in fields stained red by monsoon, hands plunged deep in the soil. When there is work, she takes it—hauling bricks, gathering grass, her back aching by noon. Some days are filled with animal care, others with the rough labor that leaves her fingers raw.

There are no savings to speak of, but every coin she gathers is tucked away in a tin for her children. Her son’s education is a collective effort; family helps where they can. Her parents’ support is her only shield against the world’s sharp edges. She guards documents—a tattered Aadhar card, election slips—knowing these scraps might bring hope, or at least recognition.

Ripkaben dreams of a day when she can offer her children more: a home that is truly theirs, secure work, a steady meal, and a place where laughter doesn’t come with worry. Some nights, she listens to the lowing of cattle, the rain tapping gently on the roof, and lets herself imagine a different life.

In each day’s quiet struggle, she finds the strength to begin again, grounded by the land and the love that refuses to leave her side.

Behind stories like Ripkaben’s stands Single Mother Foundation, working quietly to bring opportunities and dignity to rural women. Our Foundation supports women with access to savings, skill-building, and resources—helping them strengthen their livelihoods and move towards self-reliance and in transforming quiet struggles into stories of hope and progress. If you wish to join hands or find out more, reach out to us at connect@singlemotherfoundation.org.

Brought to you by Nishant Joshi, in the hope that Ripkaben’s voice echoes beyond her village.