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Pappad-making at Cherpulassery |
A stepping stone to future |
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The world is changing so fast, the circumstances are changing so quickly, one is gradually being left with less and less time and money to look after the family and their needs. In this fast changing scenario, women play a significant but underestimated role in the formation of family and its sustenance. Today, women's networks have emerged one of the most potent forces to stabilize the family structure.
Income generation activities are widely seen as the most effective way to achieve sustainable economic and social benefits for the poorest people. However, due to their lack of access to formal financial institutions, most of their activities take place through grassroot organizations.Lathika and Nalini, both residents of Mangalam Kunnu at Srikrishnapuram Panchayat in Palakkad district, are living examples of two families where women stepped into the forefront to support their families with some additional income.
A bold move
Lathika belongs to a family which is traditionally engaged in manufacturing and sale of 'Pappad'. Pappad, as we know is a delicious fried item served along with the traditional lunch in Kerala. Even though pappad-making is their traditional work, the family discontinued it when her mother-in-law expired four years back. Since then she was exploring the possibilities of doing something to fetch some additional income for the family. Her husband, Rajan works as a bus driver and the couples have two sons aged seven and four. With the meager income from her husband they were struggling to meet both ends together.
During this period, Cherpulassery branch of the Shalom Micro Finance has expanded its activities into this area and formed a Self Help Group with fifteen members. The co-ordinator explained the aims and objectives of forming a group and also the benefits members can derive from Shalom Micro Finance. Lathika said, "We are really convinced about Shalom’s objectives. The ideology of development is attractive to the women's movement. It is a useful tool for organizing and providing a platform around which groups can be formed and operated." The group, CPY-51, has been formed in April 2006 at Mangalam Kunnu with ten active members. Being a member of the group, after three months Lathika applied for a loan of Rs 3000 to restart her pappad-making work.
The loan got sanctioned in June 2006 and she invested the small amount to produce pappads. Instead of setting up the unit away from the residence, Lathika preferred to operate from home.
On the growth path
Initially, she had to struggle to put the business on the proper track. She faced problems in different areas of operation-- sourcing raw materials, time management for production, creating proper marketing network etc. However with her consistent efforts and determination coupled with the support of her husband she managed to overcome the hindrances on her path.
Lathika gradually but steadily converted the raw material supplier into the buyer of finished products. Today she has three permanent customers (shops) to sell the products. Besides the wholesale market, she also developed a network of retail market among the general public. The average daily production varies from 300 to 350 pieces. She can fetch a market price of Rs.120 for 300 pappads in shops. But as a marketing strategy she is charging Rs 150 from the public (retailing). Similarly, for one packet pappad containing 20 pieces, she will get Rs 8 from shops and Rs 10 from retailing.
As she did not engage any workers for the activity, she is unable to meet the growing demand in the market. All the operations are done manually and no machines are used at any stages of production.
During the festival season she used to work in the night to meet the huge demand for the products. People in Kerala will not celebrate Onam, Vishu, festivals in church and other religious functions without pappad. In Onam season, her unit alone will sell around 70 packets per day. Other special occasions of high demand are Christmas, Karthika Vilakku, Mela, and Anna Dhanam. Occasionally, the product also will be sold through Kudumbashree. An organization called 'Helpline' has come forward to market their products."We are not able to meet the local demand fully. How can we think of supplying the product to organizations like Helpline," Lathika asked.
She expressed the view that venturing into the small business has made far-reaching effects in their life. Prior to the business, the only source of her family income was the hard earned money of her husband. They found it a tough task to pull day after day. To further add to her woes, the family had to borrow a good amount for the purpose of property partition.
Stable income
With the change of fortune, things are working to her favour. Within a short span of one year, she opened and stabilized the business, set up a well-oiled supply and marketing network and a regular flow of income. A new vigour and confidence can be witnessed from her approach. She is making a daily profit of Rs 50 to Rs.60, which has boosted her morale and changed their lifestyle. According to Lathika, " We are able to meet the daily domestic expenses from the pappad-making, while my husband's earnings can be saved partially." In short, the income generation activity has made a difference in her life.
Following the footsteps of Lathika, two more members from the same group entered the pappad-making activity. It was a joint venture between Nalini and Girija.
They also followed the same successful strategy adopted by Lathika. Nalini's husband, Radhakrishnan, is employed in a furniture shop at Perithalmanna. Her family consists of three sons, a daughter, and her mother-law.
Nalini has also established a network of shops to market the finished products. "Depending upon the demand I will supply maximum three kg of finished products per day," Nalini said. Nalini strongly believes that her business is a stepping stone to build up a trouble free and smooth life. |
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