An estimated ten crore people make up India’s tribal community, largely confined to India’s central, south and northeast. They have always had a unique and harmonious relationship with nature and follow sustainable practices of livelihood.
And now, more than ever, there has been a growth in tribal entrepreneurship, especially in the case of women entrepreneurs. But due to lack of accessibility and development, business has always been a struggle.
Here the civil society organisation Society for Research and Rudimentary Education on Social and Health Issues (SRREOSHI) has been working towards rural development with special focus on women empowerment with participatory engagement with women across south Bengal.
Case in point is Charidanga, one of the ongoing project villages that has set a model for others in uplifting tribal women. Charidanga is a Santhal dominated village amidst dense forest of the district of West Burdwan in West Bengal. The tribal women here are undeterred by the remoteness of village life, and they endeavour to become promising entrepreneurs.
The tribal women here have formed a micro-enterprise which makes Sal leaf-plates. The women together have also formed self-help groups and generate an income by selling produce from the kitchen garden, vermicompost and Sal leaf-plates.
Their handiwork is worth appreciation, but they face impending issues of storing the finished plates and the raw materials.
However, there are many roadblocks they face, and they face the issue of storage of these plates and these natural raw materials, especially in the monsoon months. They need a community building to help sort this issue out.
SRREOSHI along with many generous contributors has been able to raise some money for the future sustenance of these tribal women entrepreneurs. But they need your help to achieve the target amount which will be used not only for building the storage, but also will indirectly help empower these women and their families.
Help these women in achieving their dreams!