Help Rural Women Gain Essential Business Skills

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude for your support of the Mann Deshi  Business School program which also includes Goat Paravet and Goat Rearing Program, which has enabled us to provide thousands of recipients with viable economic possibilities. The Mann Deshi Goat Paravet and Goat Rearing Program, works towards encouraging farmers to adopt goat rearing as a source of income. Our sheli sakhis (goat para veterinarians) efficiently handle primary care, vaccinations, and artificial insemination on goats as part of the program. One of our beneficiaries, Shankar says, "Once, my 80 sheep accidentally ate something poisonous. By dusk, every sheep began to quiver. I contacted sheli sakhi from Mann Deshi. She reached immediately with another sheli sakhi. They both went to Piliv village to purchase medications. Five sheep had passed away by the time they got back. The remaining sheep who had fainted were given medication. The sheep then gradually began to become conscious.” GlobalGiving’s kind assistance has made it possible for the Mann Deshi Goat Rearing Program to carry on in this path and serve the beneficiaries.

Thank you so much for all our supporters!!!

Links:

• A video of our sheli sakhi treating a goat

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

'My chemical-free oils and other organic products will benefit peoples’ health'

Sonali is the founder of the company Shrisiddha Naturals that manufactures and sells cold-pressed oil. She got the idea to start this company when her mother-in-law had cancer, and she faced a lot of difficulties getting chemical-free foods and oils. Sonali had to import these products, and that's when she decided she would manufacture chemical free oils and other organic products in her area and make them available to people in Mhaswad!

Sonali gained the scientific knowledge. "I needed through recognised courses on how to make organic and natural products, and started the business to help my community. I believe that my chemical-free oils and other organic products will benefit peoples’ health," says Sonali.

Thank you so much for all our supporters!!!

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

Mann Deshi would like to share the story of Veena.

Veena launched her bakery business with an initial capital of Rs 90,000 for buying baking machine and a flour mixer. Initially, she distributed pamphlets and samples of her biscuits in the local bakeries. Within no time, she started receiving orders and began earning Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 a month.A year ago, she invested in a baking machine of a larger capacity which allows her to make 2 kg biscuits at a time. She makes a variety of biscuits using maida, wheat, oats, nachni, cashew, coconut etc in addition to nankhatai and sugar-free biscuits. Whenever there is a bulk order, she hires four women.

Three months ago, a friend introduced her to Mann Deshi and Veena joined the Chamber of Commerce program. She got a chance to put up a stall of her products and was happy to make a sale of Rs 1,000 in just a few hours. She has recently applied for a loan at Mann Deshi for buying a spiral mixer and slicer for her business. After undergoing a training program on packaging and branding organized by Mann Deshi, Veena improved her product packaging and made it attractive. Though she resides with her husband in a remote village named Herle near Kolhapur, she supplies biscuits to cities like Pune and Mumbai too. Her monthly income reaches up to Rs 30,000.

Recently, she learned to make a Facebook business page at Mann Deshi training program and started a business page which garnered orders from Mumbai and Pune too. She regularly uses PhonePe for business transactions. “I have learned that hard work pays. I aim to set up my own shop soon,” says Veena.

Thank you so much for all our supporters !!!

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

‘I’ve increase my production capacity as I’m sure that the demand for my oil would pick up’  - Says Sarita.

In October 2021, Sarita established her own production unit at MIDC, in Satara. Currently, she has three employees including a woman. After participating Mann Deshi’s program, she has started marketing her business using Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp Business. “I realized the value of digital marketing tools for business promotion during the lockdown. I also came to know about packaging and filling machines for my business in a machinery demo conducted by Mann Deshi. I learned how I could expand my business on a B2B (Business to Business) level,” says Sarita, who has registered her business on Google My Business and has improved her packaging.  Currently Sarita’s annual turnover is around $25000.

Thank you so much for all our supporters !!! 

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

Sneha (now 33) is running a papad business for the last five years.

When she first set up her business, she took a loan of Rs 40,000 from the Mann Deshi Bank Mahila Bank and began by selling 5 kg of papad in a month. Today, from the comfort of her home, she supplies 22 varieties of papad and sells 200 kg of papad to 30 resalers across in Pune, Mumbai, Ratnagiri and Dapoli. She has also added nachni and wheat biscuits among her products and earns Rs 15,000 a month.

Last year, after attending a workshop in digital marketing organized by Mann Deshi Foundation, she created a Facebook page for her brand Balaji Enterprises and that helped her get many new customers. “In fact, through Mann Deshi, I have met many women who were looking to diversify their products and businesses and now they stock my products for a commission. It’s a wonderful feeling when women can empower each other and I’ve reduced my profit margin so that I can help them earn better,” says Sneha, who is excellent at standardizing her products and also trains other women associated with Mann Deshi.

Sneha finds Whatsapp an excellent tool to reach out to her customers and suppliers. She does most of her business transactions digitally through GooglePay, PhonePay or PayTM.

During the lockdown, Sneha’s business came to a standstill for two months, mainly because of logistical difficulties. But she soon started local home delivery and hopes that as things ease up, she will go back to business as usual. She hopes to set up her own manufacturing unit and set up her own shop soon.

Thank you so much for all our supporters !!!