Adani Foundation invests in building social capital, promoting collective strength through self-help groups, supporting initiatives towards preservation of traditional art, and organizing skill development training for the women artisans. In Tirora, initiatives to boost sustainable livelihoods for inclusive growth are directly and indirectly helping to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) 2 and 8. 

These include organic SRI practices for cultivating paddy and other initiatives like vermicomposting, home biogas, drip irrigation, silage making, lac cultivation, livestock development, and dairy business. Particularly for women, the Foundation supports self-help groups (SHGs) engaged in various income generation activities such as mushroom cultivation and incense stick making. One such programme is lac bangle making which started in the year of 2017 with 90 women from nearby villages. They are trained to handcraft lac bangles, connected with vendors for providing them raw material and buy back their final products. Each woman began to earn INR 2000 to 3000 per month.

The SHGs were named Santoshi Swayam Sahayata Mahila Bachat Gat, Khairbodi village and Pragati Swayam Sahayata Mahila Bachat Gat, Chikhali village. We registered them under the brand name “SVASHRAYI”. Further, the Foundation provided advance training to 45 skillful women to make designer bangles using lac with stones, different items like hair pins, saree clips etc. What started as a small women’s venture, reached one of India’s largest ecommerce platforms too.  

However, by far the biggest opportunity for this SHG has been the chance to exhibit and sell their products at Gram Bharati 2022, ahead of the festive season at Adani Corporate House in Ahmedabad. We were astounded when we visited the venue of the exhibition, our SHG women Mrs. Rita Chaudhari from Khairbodi village had seen nothing like that before. The decoration at the venue and the stall where we got to showcase our products got us more excited. We thought it could not get any better, but it did! Mrs. Rita Chaudhari got the opportunity to meet Chairperson of Adani foundation Dr. Priti Adani and Chairman of Adani Group Shri. Gautam Adani. It was no less than a dream when they stood before her inquiring about the products.

We were overwhelmed and had a feeling of contentment with the response of Adanians – we sold a staggering 465 units of various products worth INR 40,000 within 3 days. Even after the Gram Bharti fair we received orders. We also got to know what and which products were more popular for people in a city like Ahmedabad, offering clarity and confidence to the SHG members for them to fine tune their products further.

 

However, the feedback from and interaction with members of other SHGs were the most enriching. For us, Gram Bharati was like seeing all India at one place. Different languages, products, cultures but a common thread binding us all which was that we are all a part of the Adani Foundation family. Hearing about their struggles and subsequent success gave a sense of sisterhood. It was also wonderful to see their products, learn about their business and get insights. Bamboo pickle, handmade palm boxes, cow dung incense sticks etc., were the new products we saw there, motivating us to diversify and innovate.

Platforms like “Gram Bharati 2022” widen the horizon of imagination of the village women who do have core qualities of being an entrepreneur, developed through their resilience against day-to-day hardships. The event helped SHG member to recognize the potential of what the SHG can achieve. 
After ’Gram Bharti 2022’, the Adani Foundation also arranged two exhibitions at Tirora. At the end of the day, stepping out of their comfort zone and getting such exposure cannot be replaced with any other training. These women’s SHG members are poised to expand their business, working on their communication skills, customizing their products, and becoming role models for others in their community.