सुंदर माझे जाते ग फिरते बहुत
ओव्या गाऊ कौतुक तु येरे बा विठ्ठला
जीव शीव दोन्ही सुंडे ग प्रपंचाच्या नेटे ग
लावूनी पाची बोटे तु येरे बा विठ्ठला....
It was a pleasant surprise to be greeted by these melodious lines from ovees (songs sung by rural women while performing arduous tasks like using grinding stone, mortar and pestle or rahat; a manual wooden wheel used for fetching water from well), as I entered Mann Deshi Mahotsav, at Ravindra Natya Mandir last week.
Mann Deshi foundation, an initiative where women are at helm, provides a dynamic platform for rural women and their communities from lower strata of society (women who work as homemakers, goatherds, vegetable sellers, roadside tea stall owners, domestic helps and farm labourers), empowering them to be entrepreneurs; helping them equip with knowledge, capital, access to markets and social support nurturing financial and digital literacy.
One has to really meet women working at grass root level at small and medium enterprises and listen to their stories to understand what terms like "inclusive growth" and "women empowerment" really mean and how it impacts their life and society in general.
For most of us from financially affluent and educated class, it is impossible to imagine plight of an uneducated, hard working woman with saving potential of barely five rupees a day!
A latest International Finance Corp, (IFC) study shows that nearly 75% of women-owned small and medium enterprises have an unmet financial need leaving huge gap that usually ends up being met with help of family members or money lenders who charge exorbitant rates of interest, forcing women into a debt trap. The critical challenge of lack of credit compels most of these small entrepreneurs to wind up their businesses or stunt growth of their startups.
At Man Deshi Mahotsav, I met many successful micro-entrepreneurs who once faced lack of access to institutional banking services, opportunities for skill building and access to support networks due to complete lack of education and skill sets. Listening to their experiences of starting their ventures from scratch was great learning and quite an eye opener for me!
A micro enterprise movement in a small village of Mhaswad, in Satara district that was started about two decades back has spread into a strong platform for myriad community initiatives like organizing cattle camps, building check dams, running a local radio station and sports talent hunts, helping millions of rural women pulling them out of dire conditions and give them wings. When one meets these gritty, confident rural women with dreams in their eyes, one agrees with the visionary founder of Mann Deshi Foundation, Chetna Gala Sinha's words,"Literacy is not just about reading and writing."
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| A warm welcome at the entrance by women singing ovees |
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| A woman singing ovees while grinding grains |
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| Display of organic produce at Mann Deshi Mahotsav |
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| Gaji dance performers in their traditional white attires and hand embroidered red scarves |
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| A woman selling Masalas and chutneys |
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| Farm fresh fruits at Mann Deshi Mahotsav |
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| Beaming with pride and confidence, these women explained how they make medicinal oils using more than a dozen plants and tress |
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| One of the stars of Mann Deshi Mahotsav, Kerabai Sargar a radio jocky, who launched her CD at exhibition |
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| Woolen blankets made with organic wool |
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| A couple from Karnataka, selling sarees and handicrafts |
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| member of Eklavya Foundation, answering queries from curious minds |
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| Farm fresh vegetable stalls |
