Maharashtra: Women turn entrepreneurs to transform lives in villages
Chingutai Jadhav, in her mid-40s, has taken it upon herself to raise the health and nutritional standards of women in her small village in drought-prone Osmanabad district of Maharashtra. She wants to persuade people to build toilets at their homes for better hygiene. Jadhav is among 20 women entrepreneurs, who are working at the grass-roots level to help in transforming the lives of others.
Women entrepreneurs have been selected for fellowship program
These women, from Osmanabad, Solapur, Latur, and Washim districts, have been selected by Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), a Pune-based NGO, for the "Unnati Fellowship Award". With the fellowship program, started this year, the NGO intends to support these women by providing them financial support for a year in the form of a monthly stipend and an intensive mentoring by its team.
Jadhav's husband left her soon after marriage
Jadhav, who hails from Medsinga village in Osmanabad, says her husband left her soon after their marriage. "While living with my parents and brother, I decided to move on in life, become self-reliant and also encourage other women to lead a meaningful life by becoming financially independent," she said. For this, she joined a self-help group and started earning enough to support herself.
What's the goal of Jadhav?
Jadhav said the NGO provided her support, and now her goal is to help women with issues pertaining to health, nutrition, and sanitation. "I would like to counsel and persuade at least 200 families to build toilets in their homes. The health issues of women are close to my heart," she said. Jadhav said women should go for regular health check-ups, including cancer screening.
Another entrepreneur wants to start milk collection center
Shilpa Vibhute, from Nanaj in Solapur district, wants to start a milk collection center enlisting around 1,000 women. Through this venture, each woman can earn over Rs. 12,000/month, she claimed. Born into a poor family, Vibhute, who has studied till Class 12, is currently running three successful enterprises, including a nursery which sells grape saplings to local farmers.
About the aim of the third woman entrepreneur
Archana Mane, from a small village called Ansurde, said she has undergone training at the NGO in organic farming methods. "Adopting this type of farming has helped me to change my life and also of other women," she said. Mane now wants to start a business cluster involving women and linking them to larger marketing chains in big cities to sell their produce.
NGO promotes a climate-resilient farming model for women
Swayam Shikshan Prayog's founder and Executive Director Prema Gopalan said they are promoting a climate-resilient farming model for women. The main objective of the model, currently covering over 41,000 women farmers in about 500 villages, is to help the marginalized families attain food and income security, have sustainable development, proper health and nutrition, Gopalan said. The women are imparted training in climate-friendly farming practices.
