By Debadutta Dash | Executive Board Member, Sukarya USA
Empowering rural women through Spice & Cereals Manufacturing & Packaging Unit
Background:
Along with a high level of iliteracy, poverty and unemployment in rural India, also deep rooted in the society is the gender disparity. Sukarya began its women empowerment program in 1999 by opening the Spice & cereal Processing Unit at Gurgaon and created SHGs [Self-Help Groups] in the Villages. The vision was to make them socially and economically empowered and independent so they can lead their life in a dignified manner.
These women inculcated a habit of saving small amounts, making inter loaning within the group, while SHGs were linked with the banks. They first acquired basic literacy through Sukarya’s Adult literacy campaign followed by financial literacy. The SHGs women acquired number of trainings and apprenticeship on entire gamut of Store keeping, Processing, packaging, selling, accounting and small entrepreneurship skills .Efforts are made to develop them as small entrepreneurs by assisting in opening of home based processing units and outlets to generate livelihood options for them but it could not sustain due to multiple reasons .
Therefore, in 2017 a bold step was taken by registering the women empowerment cell as Bhumi Foundation, an independent entity under the aegis of Sukarya in order to generate sustainable income for rural women to support their livelihood and help them to get rid of poverty.
Project Summary:
The project is currently operational with the establishment of a standard spice and cereal production and packaging unit in the village to ensure all the trained SHGs women are gainfully employed in the unit. The production and packaging is being done as per Food industry norms, standards and Para- meters .The efforts are being made to link the production & manufacturing unit with branded wholesalers, dealers and vendors making it profitable and sustainable.
The unit is managed by the production supervisor and a marketing executive for a smooth operation of production, packaging, selling, marketing and promotion of manufactured products.
Expected Outcome:
Around 20 Women would be gainfully employed under the Production and Packaging unit. They would earn a significant amount at par with State minimum wage policy
Around 20 families would get direct benefit through this intervention.
Around 100 people would be benefited.
A sustained income and employability source would be established
Project Progress Report from April to May 2017
The following activities have been carried out during the preparatory phase of the project.
1.Establishment of Spice and cereal production unit in the village
2. Establishment of the packaging unit in the village
3. Referesher training to SHGs women
4. Installation of grinding machines
5. Fixing other logistical requirements
6. Registration with FSSI [Food safety and Standards Authority of India]
7. Recruitment of Production supervisor and Sales Coordinator
8. Preparation of SoP [Standard operating procedure]
9. Exploration of market, buyers, wholesalers and dealers etc.
Production and sales Status
Production- INR 111,860
Stock - INR 24,854
Sale- INR 87,006
Employment and earnings of women
Total no. of women gainfully employed – 2
Total earnings of the women - INR 6998
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