62-year-old Kompelli Yadamma belongs to a traditional weaving community, that goes back generations. She lives in the quiet village of Koyyalagudem in the Choutuppal district of Telangana, which is 60 kms from Hyderabad.

Her husband passed away when her three children were still very young, which meant that Yadamma had to raise them single-handedly. She somehow managed to do this with her weaving skills with which she creates beautiful handlooms.

Unfortunately, the handloom industry is a precarious one with large periods of uncertainty and meagre income. As a result, they were always struggling to make ends meet.

It was in such a situation that HelpAge India’s Livelihood programme provided succour to Yadamma and as a result her whole family. Elder resource persons from different Elder-Self-Help-Groups (ESHGs) in Tirupati, came across, Yadamma and motivated her to join the newly formed ‘Shivarama Lingaswamy’ ESHG. She also started availing free healthcare benefits from HelpAge India’s Mobile Healthcare programme.

Slowly but surely, she emerged from her precarious situation and now leads a life of independence. Today, Yadamma is not just the President of her ESHG but also the Vice President of the Elders’ Village Level Federation. She is also an active elder resource person helping empower other disadvantaged elders like her – helping them transform their lives.