This feature story was orignally published by Annapurna Microfinance, a CFI partner that has collaborated on our Financial Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities program. Click here for more stories on disability inclusion from India. 

Ashok Kumar Khatwal was born into a poor weaver family. His right leg was afflicted with polio when he was eight months old and the severity of his disability increased with age. Due to a lack of proper facilities to travel to school, inaccessible infrastructure, and low family support, he had to discontinue his studies. His family also treated him as a burden.

The Kiva loan extended to him helped him expand his family’s weaving business. Today he is the sole bread-earner of his family and is successfully providing basic amenities and good education to his children. He has also managed to save and purchase a tricycle for himself which helps him travel to any destination without assistance, comfortably and with dignity