The Hindu : A business venture that empowers rural women

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 03, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

A business venture that empowers rural women

By Raviprasad Kamila

Women members of self-help groups preparing a Siri product.

MANGALORE, MARCH 2. While the problems in the beedi industry have rendered many a woman in Dakshina Kannada jobless in the recent years, Siri, a programme launched by the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project in 2001, has given a new lease of life to the poor women by purchasing and marketing non-farm products produced by its self-help groups.

A large number of women from landless poor families were gainfully employed in the beedi industry in the district. But the beedi industry has collapsed owing to several reasons. As a result, women find it difficult to get jobs affecting their income.

To help such women, the Rural Development Project formed women self-help groups and started training them in various farm and non-farm sector activities. Some women, particularly those in Belthangady taluk, took up farm sector activities such as dairying, jasmine cultivation, vermi-composting individually, and other small business activities after being trained at the Rural Development and Self-employment Training Institute at Ujire in the district.

The Rural Development Project credit linked such women with banks for loan. In 2001, it showed the women in self-help groups sponsored by it in Belthangady taluk a new way under the non-farm sector. It trained and encouraged them in the manufacture of chemical items, bakery products, rexin bags, readymade garments, squashes, pappads, condiments, sweets, wafers, pickle and other such products.

The self-help groups were credit linked with banks for the purchase of utensils and other products to manufacture such items.

The Rural Development Project purchased all such items manufactured by women and marketed under Siri. It collected Rs. 501 from each self-help group as capital base (share capital) to begin the process of marketing.

The Rural Development Project from its side advanced Rs. 9 lakhs to launch Siri, which has now emerged as a business venture empowering women in rural areas.

The Executive Director of the Rural Development Project, L.H. Manjunath, told The Hindu, "Now over 600 women from 65 self-help groups are involved in the manufacture of non-farm products in the district, mainly in Belthangady taluk. The monthly business of Siri products has crossed over Rs. 15 lakhs. Siri has set up six outlets to sell products in rural areas.''

Dr. Manjunath said another group of over 600 women were involved in door-to-door sale of Siri products in the district.

In all, more than 1,500 women were involved in the business, he added.

He said products were being manufactured under three heads — food items, fast moving chemical products such as soaps and soap powder, phenyl and the like and textiles.

More than 40 products were being manufactured.

Referring to the supply and demand for Siri products, Dr. Manjunath said the demand for Siri food products was three tonnes against a production of one tonne. There was demand for two tonnes of pickle against a production of 700 kg.

He said the Rural Development Project had planned to involve 5,000 women in the manufacture of non-farm products in the next three years. Besides, Siri products were being sold through private dealers. The sale of Siri products was recently launched in Bangalore through dealers. There was a plan to set up an exclusive outlet of Siri in Bangalore.

He said Siri also provided commission to women manufacturers based on a day's production of various items. At present, the activities of Siri were mainly concentrated in Belthangady taluk. The Rural Development Project would strengthen it in Puttur, Sullia and Mangalore taluks, he added.

Through Siri, women who manufactured products earned at least from Rs. 40 to Rs. 50 daily. A woman at Panakaje manufacturing unit in Belthangady taluk said, "After I lost my job in the beedi industry I did not know what to do. Now I manage to earn at least Rs. 50 a day here.''

The Rural Development Project was founded by D. Veerendra Heggade 21 years ago in Dharmasthala.

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