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Last Saturday, the nation ended five days of Diwali revelry with the celebration of the affectionate bonds between brothers and sisters.

Bhai Dooj, Bhaubeej, Bhai Tika or Bhai Phonta—the names differs from region to region but the prayers remain the same... “May my brother live a long prosperous life”. It is the devotion of sisters that shieldstheir brothers from harm. Bhai Dooj, in which girls and women put tilaks on their brothers and pray for their long life, strengthens sibling bonds.

There are many legends surrounding this Hindu festival.

According to one legend, Yamuna, the twin sister of Yamaraj, the Lord of Death, yearned to meet her brother and he came to see her. She greeted him with sweets, put a tilak (a sacred mark on the forehead), and served a sumptuous feast. Yamaraj was so moved by his sister's devotion and care that he announced that a brother who receives tilak from his sister on Bhratri Dwitiya will never have to visit hell.

In Bengal, the sing-song lyrical prayers uttered by sisters while putting the tilak go somewhat like this:
“As I mark my brother’s forehead,
I put a barrier in front of Yamraj’s door.
Wherever my brother visits
May he always be blessed with beautiful flowers and the aroma of sandalwood.”

During my journey of driving the mission and vision of Village Financial Services to empower Indian women as entrepreneurs, I have realised that it is not people like us who empower them; It is the women who empower us.

Scrolling through the stories of empowerment that we helped write during our microfinance journey, I have realised that it is the inspiration of our women borrowers, their prayers and their faith that make VFS executives embrace challenges and kindle the entrepreneurial spark.

Without the prayers and hope from our women customers, our journey would have been a futile exercise. We at VFS have drawn courage and strength from the tales of women going from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Without the handholding support that our sisters got from their brothers (the VFS executives), the entrepreneurial journeys would have not started. Nor would VFS have become one of the most reputable microfinance institutions.

Another legend has it that Lord Krishna, after defeating the demon Narakasura, was given a grand reception by his sister Subhadra. As a protective mark, Subhadra put a tilak on Lord Krishna's forehead.

In our reality, it is our Subhadras who defeat the demon of poverty and unemployment, whereas our brothers, our executives, guide them in their journey towards victory with the weapon of microfinance.

VFS celebrates the sacred bond between the brothers and sisters every day. Touching nearly 500,000 people with the prosperity and financial stability of microfinance, I have realised that this feat has been possible because of the symbiotic bond of mutual trust and handheld co-growth between our inspiring women customers and hardworking executives.

There is no doubt that the prayers of our sisters have the power to save lives from the jaws of hell. With this confidence, I vow that VFS will go on guiding our sisters and empowering them in their journey towards financial prosperity.