Her words sum up the impact of the ANNA Abhayahastham pension scheme in the rural Andhra Pradesh, which has facilitated financial independence to the aged. Mr Rajula Seenaiah married Mrs Rajula Muniamma, after his first wife, who bore him two children died. Both the children are married now. Muniamma has no children and stays with her ailing husband, a stone cutter by profession. He earns Rs. 50-60 a day but due to ill health he has stopped working. Mrs Muniamma, despite her financial constraints took the bold decision to join the Self Help Group movement. In her own words, Mrs Muniamma says: “Initially, I did not have a positive opinion about the SHGs. But, once I joined Vara Siddhi Vinayaka Mahila Sangham, I realized the immense help the group gives to boost the morale of the poor women. I inculcated the habit of thrift and in due course was able to borrow money from the group for family needs.” Tasting success, Mrs. Muniamma is credited as the first Boya woman in her community to join the SHG movement. “I faced hardships but was able to convince my fellow community women to enroll in the SHG. I am satisfied that due to my efforts, my community has three SHGs,” she says with confidence. Mrs. Muniamma and her husband are policy holders. This illiterate woman may appear like any other ordinary rural woman but her grit and determination made her the first person to join from her community in the Abhayahastam Pension Scheme. She paid the subscription amount for 10 years and motivated two others – Mrs. Sallapuri and Mrs Chinna Papamma to join the scheme. Mrs. Muniamma says her joy knew no bounds and she was rendered speechless on receiving the first pension. “After I received the first month’s pension from Mrs Nagamani , Local Sangamithra, I felt a sense of sense of achievement. I shook hands with the MRPs even as tears rolled down my cheeks,” she says. She holds former Chief Minister late Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy in high esteem stating that he had implemented many schemes successfully. Praising the Abhayahastham pension scheme, Mrs. Muniamma says, “ words fail to express my gratitude to ANNA and the Government for such a scheme. We are indebted to the Government for the pension scheme. We continue to pray for the well being of the leader’s family,” she observes.