Women turn Entrepreneurs

Pune: “Though we live in the same colony, we used to meet once a week at the local marketplace and discuss our family problems with each other. Once the household chores were over, the remaining day was spent watching TV programmes and taking care of our kids. However, the situation is quite different now; we have taken a big leap towards becoming entrepreneurs with the help of the Tanishka Foundation”, expressed members of Tanishka Group.

Right from the beginning, Puja Padwal, Gayatri Wable, Ashwini Bhosale, Harshala Mali, Pallavi Bhosale, Vandana Padwal, Kamala Jadhav, Ashwini Walimbe, Supriya Mategaonkar, Chanda Kadu and others wanted to achieve something different than the rest. They also expressed their wish and willingness to support the entire family through some kind of activity but lacked a sense of direction and guidance to select the right path.

On learning about the Tanishka movement through a few women in their locality, they got together and decided to take the lead in empowering themselves by participating in various activities organised by this movement.

While the newly involved members were able to contribute towards social cause, the constant urge to set up a business they longed to do kept prodding them. At this point, most of the women actively participated in weekly meetings that were held to help the group and guide them. However, they were still not clear and confident about what exactly they should do.

The problem of non-recyclable garbage and waste is acquiring alarming proportions in Pune. The increased use of plastic bags which are non-biodegradable, are causing major health issues for individuals in society. Members of the Tanishka group felt that the problem could be largely mitigated if paper bags were replaced with the plastic ones in circulation. The Tanishka Foundation supported their initiative positively and arranged for training sessions on making paper bags. After the training sessions were over, these ladies would get together and practise making paper bags late into the night till wee hours.

Once they were able to make good quality bags, all of them shared the responsibility of marketing these paper bags in the neighbourhood. They distributed samples of bags to medical and grocery shops, stalls vending eatables and snacks; Shopkeepers also responded positively to the efforts being taken for keeping the neighbourhood clean and purchased these paper bags in bulk quantities. Currently, the group sells around a thousand to twelve hundred bags per day with a total earning of around five hundred rupees per day, depending on the quantity sold.

Not limiting their hard work and efforts only towards making paper bags, members of the group have taken a step further towards self-sustenance. They provide around two thousand small modaks(sweet) that are used as an offering on chaturthsi(fourth phase of moon) to various mandals in Ranjangaon and in the city.

In addition to this, they have started preparing amla candy for household consumption on a large scale. The group is now quite active and has actually implemented the old adage “where there is will, there is way!”.

In this regard, the group leader, Padwal said, “Earlier, we would spend the entire day after completing our household chores by watching TV serials at home. We were keen on supporting our families and participating in social work. The Tanishka Foundation has made this dream come true. This has also enhanced our respect in the society.”

“For many years, we know each other, but never actively participated in other extra-curricular activities. Now, we meet at a scheduled time after finishing the household chores and carry out these tasks. Unity amongst women can definitely drive a brighter future for their families”, expressed Wable, the group co-ordinator.

“This is an excellent example of how one can tackle social issues and empower themselves at the same time by joining the movement started by the Tanishka Foundation”, said Pallavi Bhsoale, Tanishka member, Ranjangaon.

“It was necessary to provide an alternative to plastic bags and contribute towards saving the environment. We have the satisfaction of contributing towards a social cause while empowering ourselves financially.” – Puja Padwal, ‘Tanishka’ group leader, Dhankawadi, Pune.

The Tanishka movement played an important role in empowering women by providing a platform that identifies and resolves issues affecting their lives, taking them to the core of transforming the society.