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Of, by and for women
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Navodai helps women entrepreneurs pack some fun into their business
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Navodai's ongoing exhibition at V.R. Plaza has a range of products on display. — Photo: Murali Kumar K.
TO A passer by, the exhibition at V.R. Plaza, near Commercial Street, would seem like any other exhibition. But for the 40 members of the women's handicraft marketing network, Navodai, every exhibit reflects the name of the NGO — a new dawn.
The exhibition, which is on till February 7, has a wide range of things — kurtis with hand-embroidery, T-shirts, children's wear with smocking and skirts, home linen, terracotta jewellery, jute artefacts and bags, artificial jewellery, designer bindis, herbal products, bakery products, Kashmiri shawls, and even churan made by Jaipur women. Most items are made by those who are selling the products themselves.
"Navodai gives these women entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase their products, which they otherwise sell from home and to their friends. These women come from middle-class families and may be single working women or women who want to supplement the family income. In some cases like the churan and bindis, it is the women who make the products and the men-folk who sell them," says Prema Sundaram, who set up the NGO with her two friends Suvigya Vyas and Kuljeet Kaur. Another attraction of Navodai is that all women share the rent of the exhibition halls. Says Prema: "The cost of putting up a stall at an exhibition is phenomenal. This makes it impossible for the women to break even. But Navodai does not charge each woman for her stall. The rent that we pay is divided equally."
For Valentine's Day
In the last one-and-a-half years, Navodai has tried to make the exhibition fun for women entrepreneurs. For Valentine's Day, the women wore red and the men accompanying them also wore red shirts.
Says Priya Baliga, who has a stall of terracotta jewellery and embroidered kurtis, and has been a member of Navodai since its inception: "The exhibitions are a training ground for us. We are advised on how to price our products, the sales pitch right from greeting customers and displaying the goods." For Priya, the most important benefit is that her kurtis have attracted an international customer. "Navodai introduces us and then it is for us to take it forward. Because of the network, our contacts grow."
Oldest member
At 67, Gopi Sippy is the oldest, but an untiring member of Navodai. Her love for jute has motivated her to participate in every exhibition. "Jute is so eco-friendly. Jute jewellery and even pin cushions from jute fascinate me." Lily Dass, with her herbal healthcare products, also finds this an excellent platform to showcase her business of five years. She recalls with pride how after one of the exhibitions at an MNC, she was called again to set up an exclusive stall on the campus.
Says Prema: "These women are very enterprising. They need encouragement and an opportunity and Navodai is happy to give them that. The exhibitors also get an incentive if they have been with Navodai for five exhibitions — a 50 per cent discount on the rent."
Look out for the Valentine's Day exhibition at Raheja Arcade and the Women's International Day special at VR Plaza in March. Navodai can be contacted on 98444 69699 or navodai@indiatimes.com
MATILDA YORKE
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Madurai
Mangalore
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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