Help Rural Women Gain Essential Business Skills

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 !!!