Welcoming Guests With Open Heart

30 year old Bhagwati ben lives with her son in a village called Basoli, Uttarakhand. She is involved in animal husbandry, farming and has been running her homestay since 2019. Bhagwati ben first came across the concept of homestays in mohalla meetings. She understood the difference between a hotel and a homestay and with the support of her fellow SEWA members, learnt the rules of transforming her house into a homestay for guests. Initially she was apprehensive of letting strangers into her home but she was assured that only women would come and stay at her place. Her first guest was a SEWA member named Daya ben who helped her with sharing her experience and feedback. She was elated to have been able to earn her first income through the homestay without having to step outside to work. She had barely begun to host more guests but the pandemic brought her business to a standstill as no tourists were visiting anymore. She hopes to and invite guests and add more improvements to her house.