Welcome To The Land Of Rural Women Entrepreneurs

In continuation of earlier story `Hindustan Zinc Rural Youth Training Program’


I left my Raju Guide’s house in deep thoughts – searching replies of many questions that perhaps in my routine life, I would have just preferred skipping. Government has its own role and policies which are being implemented by government machinery. But one cannot ignore the contribution of big companies who silently keep working towards social and economic upliftment of rural masses. No, I am not talking about NGOs here, who have their own role; I am referring to large companies, like here in Rajasthan, Hindustan Zinc, who has been finding ways to connect more and more rural masses and bring them closer to the stature of socio-economic independence.

When you see these villages, it becomes easy to understand the meaning of policies and their executions. Government does make substantial plans and policies but you do need hands to effectively execute them. Quite a few private companies have come forward towards effective implementation of such policies.

My thoughts were moving faster than my mind could relate to; water, health, sanitation, agriculture, women upliftment, electricity, education, the concerns are unlimited and the sources limited. I didn’t know when I slept, as if my mind was only waiting for the sun to shine.

I got up early and my plan was to connect to some one who could take me to different villages where Hindustan Zinc is involved in implementing community development projects.

The hotel where I was staying was small and while speaking to the owner of the hotel, I could connect to one of the Block Development Officer, Rajendra Kumar. He advised me to proceed to Chittorgarh where I should meet Jamuna, who was known to him. On my request, Rajendra Kumar agreed to take me to her house.

The journey began, first on smooth highway roads, which are almost a symbol of tourism attraction for Rajasthan, and then passing through the small roads and sub-lanes we reached a small house of Jamuna. A small house but clean and well maintained.

Jamuna, 30-32 years old, a mother of 2 children, greeted me and hugged me as if she knew me from much before. I was touched. We sat in `her Angan’ only and Rajendra left for his work.

I was no journalist or some government official; I was just a human being interested to know my villages more than I knew sitting in the city. I think this honesty touched her.

Jamuna began, `I was married at the age of 20. Fortunately my husband has a good piece of land for agriculture so money was never an issue. But 3 years back when rains did not happen in Rajasthan, the financial situation became tense. Education of children, daily expenses, every thing needed money. I love my family a lot and was quite eager to do something that could bring the situation under control. I went to my village Sarpanch, Chanchal Pareekh who asked me to join a Self-Help-Group – Shiv Shankar Sahayata Samooh. I had no knowledge of its working. Sarpanch Ji explained me how small contribution, free training, thrift savings, and collective working will improve my financial condition as it has done for many more women in the village, she kept narrating.

Convincing my family, specially my mother-in-law was the most difficult task, but once so many members of self-help-group came to my house and narrated their success story, I got the permission.

You won’t believe madam ji, my mother-in-law sold her earrings and gave me 100 rupees to contribute in SHG, Jamuna said with a soaring throat. I touched her feet and promised her that I will never led her down.

I could see the droplets of tears in her eyes. I could see the bonding in a family. You do not always need words to express gratitude.

Jamuna smiled, gone are those bad days. I received training in stitching. handicrafts, block printing, weaving, metal carving etc. I learnt so many things. We are a group of 16 women and each one of us today takes home about 3000-4000 rupees per month. We get orders from shops and we work only on orders.

Jamuna smiled again, `you know madam ji, in eight months I bought a new gold earring for my mother-in-law. She wears them with a lot of pride today’.

I was eager to see her Self-Help-Group and Jamuna was more than willing to take me. It was not far. Crossing some houses and lanes we reached. Amazingly, it was a full-fledged rural industry. I did not count the women but they must be about 20 working independently on some thing or the other. Two women were busy making records of payments as I could see one of them counting rupees.

I smiled, I was at the right place and I had a strange contentment and delightful satisfaction. Why ? I could see a banner fitted perfectly on the wall that said “Hindustan Zinc – Bringing Empowerment and Socio-Economic Independence in Rural Women – A Vedanta Group Company”. I was feeling home and so much proud and connected with this company.

Jamuna introduced me to Sarpanch, Chanchal Pareekh, who is actually Ward Panch of village Ganeshpura, district Chittorgarh. Chanchal spoke like a professional. She was clear that Rajasthan is known for colourful apparels, bandhani-bandhej, traditional handicrafts, heavy jewellery and various art forms, and the State has been a major attraction for traditional art lovers. People cover large distances from India and abroad to reach remote Rajasthan villages to admire the skills of these rural women.

`As always, the beginning was quite tough. The bigger challenge was to bring these women of different potential and temperament into one SHG and train them at par in different skills. This was essential to meet the objective of forming and making an SHG successful. Another important thing was to encourage the habit of thrift savings amongst these women, who would need this money for buying raw materials to make the products’, Chanchal said.

With upfront initiative by Hindustan Zinc I could form a Self-Help-Group of 15-16 women. Hindustan Zinc provided various skill based trainings in handicrafts, tie & dye, bags, cushion covers & bed-sheets, quilts, rakhi & bangle making, block printing, zardozi, terracotta products, imitation jewellery, tailoring and it also organized regular ‘Adult Literacy Camps’.
Pushpa Sharma a member of “Saraswati SHG” is now confident enough to deal with banks independently on behalf of the group. Saroj Devi, a trainer, is expert in dealing with the market and product development as per demand. Chanda Devi is expert in bringing quality in products. Jamuna is an expert in block printing and so is Radha Rani.

Hindustan Zinc has formed more than 200 Self-Help-Groups in Rajasthan and almost 4,000 rural women are linked with these groups, Chanchal informed.
Chanchal proudly recalled a proud day when Hindustan Zinc once invited her to Mumbai office of Vedanta Group. She went by airplane, first time in her life and to Mumbai. In Mumbai she was just delighted to meet the Chairman of Vedanta Group Shri Anil Agarwal himself. Shri Agarwal spent quite a time in understanding how things are happening and what more help I required. He was very happy to economic independence in Rajasthani women. His words worked magic. I came back with a new enthusiasm.

I asked Chanchal if she could take me to the round of her village and show me what more work is being done in her village by Hindustan Zinc. Chanchal agreed. We fixed up time for the next day and I left.

While leaving, I could see Jamuna working on block printing; perhaps she was making another way forward towards her prosperity and independence.

Indeed, it was a land of rural women entrepreneurs….

My journey will continue…

Story in `Down to Earth' magazine - Issue December 16-31, 2011.

Rural Youth Training Programs, An Antidote for Migration from Village

I am sure you remember my story on Vedanta Sparrows. The memories of those innocent Vedanta Anganwadi children still echoes. My next destination was to move further to Chittorgarh, to see the fort.

My bus had left and the option available was only of an auto. Auto drivers do know how to identify a tourist. Before I could approach them, one of them approached me. A small negotiation and the deal was done. He would be my guide too in showing me the fort. I was happy. My auto driver name was Raju – Raju the Guide.

In few hours we had reached the historic and mesmerizing fort of Chittor – the Chittorgarh Fort. Raju told me that this Chittorgarh Fort is considered to be the largest fort of India - spread across 700 acres and is an epitome of the courage and velour of Chittorgarh. Ala-Ud-Din Khilji, who desired Queen Padmini of Chittor, invaded the city in 1303 A.D. When the conditions got worse, Rawal Ratan Singh - the ruler of Chittorgarh, led his men donned with saffron robes of sacrifice and went on war. Inside the fort, women, including Padmini and the children, performed mass suicide or jauhar, rather than losing their honor & pride. We went on with the most famous tail of rani Padmini. I also saw Kali Mata temple, Padmini Palace and Kirti Stambh.

In between Raju received a call and he excused himself. Palaces and monuments have always excited me and I started clicking pictures. Raju returned with a broad smile on his face. I could not resist asking him the reason. He happily replied, `My younger brother Anil is settled now – he has got a job after getting one month training in Hindustan Zinc Vocational Training School’. `Anil could never pass class – V and finally left the studies. Our all efforts in making him educated, failed’, he continued.

While hearing the name `Hindustan Zinc’, I interrupted him. `Is it not the same company that is providing nutrition to children in child care centres’, I asked. `Yes madam, it is the biggest company in Rajasthan and they do a lot of work on community service for the rural poor like us’, Raju replied in gratitude.

I was eager to hear story of Anil, Raju brother. Rural youth are the backbone for upliftment of villages and if these youth are not attended constructively, in the long run, they would become reason for the downslide of any village. I asked Raju to make me meet Anil if possible, and he readily agreed.

From Chittor Fort we were now moving to Raju village, which he informed, was Azadnagar, under Gram Panchayat Khezadi. It was evening and by the time we reached, it was late. Raju had called Anil and he was waiting for us to meet. It was a traditional village house with basic amenities missing.

I also met Raju’s mother who offered me tea and also some Rajasthani food. It is said, when you hungry and see food, don’t think or talk, just eat and I was doing that.

Anil was a simple village youth of about 20 years. I could see a glow in his eyes as he was employed today. Anil told me that he was doing nothing and his time passed hanging around in the village or sitting at the only tea-stall in the village.

Anil started narrating his story. `It was an ordinary day when a Van came in the village fitted with big loudspeakers and banners & posters, almost hiding the entire Van. I was sitting with my friends having tea at the stall when this Van stopped and informed that Hindustan Zinc is organizing job oriented free training program for one month for people like us who have no qualifications and are dropouts. The training was to be given in many areas - tailoring, computer education, safety and electric work and it would be at Bhilwara’.

Anil enthusiasm was to be seen to be believed. He was talking like a responsible earning member of the family. He continued, `initially we were not interested, nothing new, as we had the habit of sitting idle. But when they informed that the boarding and lodging is also free and it also guarantees a job, we all friends thought of giving a try’.

`I was interested in tailoring’, Anil said. `After one month of successful training, I am now working in a nearby factory with a salary of about Rs. 4,000/-.’ I could see a spark in his eyes. I asked Anil, what you would do with your first salary. He immediately replied, `I have to buy a cycle for me to travel to my factory’.

My interest was to see the training centre and Anil and Raju promised me to take me the next day. I left for a nearby Hotel at the outskirts of the city. Next morning Raju and Anil picked me from my Hotel and we traveled for Bhilwara to the Hindustan Zinc Vocational Training Centre.

It was a big building and I could see hundreds of rural youth engrossed in learning different trades of training. Anil made me meet the Head of this Centre who informed that this training program has been organized jointly by Hindustan Zinc, IL&FS and Government of India. The Centre would train about 8000 rural youths in 5 years and also get them jobs. The target was to primarily cover BPL families youth and also dropouts to make the rural families economic independent.

I could see a large number of rural females attending the training program, neatly draped into training uniform – the aprons. Their hands were working swiftly on the sewing machines.

I was sure, when you engage with rural youth for skill based employment, you actually not only uplift their social and economic status but also address a large part of migration from the villages to the cities.

We all left the place. I left for my Hotel, Raju for his daily routine auto work and Anil for his factory.

One thing is true, Government cannot alone bring prosperity and socio-economic independence in the deep rural areas. Rather, the task is too large to be handled by any one institution. It needs a close association, coordination and dedicated work by large corporates.

Vedanta’s company Hindustan Zinc was emerging as example who has attained a stature of being called a `People Company’. I decided to visit the places where Hindustan Zinc has successfully implemented community service programs.

My journey continues…

Story in `Down to Earth' magazine - Issue November 16-30, 2011.

A Different World of Vedanta Sparrows..

It was an early morning and I had to catch a bus from Udaipur to reach Chittorgarh to visit the fort. The bus was crowded and I was desperately searching for a window seat. Amidst the noises of local tea vendors and the bus conductor, I could finally find a window seat. I could see a most gorgeous lady dressed in Rajasthani attire sitting close to me. We greeted each other and then went into our own shells. The bus had started and we were heading for Chittorgarh, which is about 120kms from Udaipur, and it will take us about 2 hours to reach.

One good thing about Rajasthan is their roads. The highways are extremely good. But as it had to happen, due to some repairs the traffic was diverted through a village, a very small patch. Traveling on a bus on a rural road with all the bumpy rides was indeed an experience. The early morning feel of nature, with chirping sparrows and the smoke coming out from the chulahs of the village houses; I was passing through a true rural village. My grandmother always used to tell me, if you hear the chirping of sparrows in the early morning hours, believe that your day is going to be excellent.

While passing through the village, I could hear some thing more, more to just chirping of sparrows. Oh yes, these were the voices of small children who were singing their morning prayers on top of their voices - `Humko mann ki shakti dena, mann vijay kare - dusro ki jai se pehle khud ko jai kare’. The prayer was touching the heart of sky and it just resisted my further traveling and I got down from the bus. Following the sound and passing through small lanes between the trees, I was amazed to see a small school, written over there 'Vedanta Bal Chetna Anganwadi Centre’ and about 30-40 children, folding their hands singing the prayer.

I was very happy, this was the first time I had seen an Anganwadi Centre.

It was amazing to see these children, probably all of them below 5-6 years, well dressed in uniform, with their hair properly combed and their faces glowing. Their prayer was finished and the teacher was lining them up to be taken inside the Anganwadi Centre. My curiosity had no bounds and I could not resist meeting these children. I could meet one of the teacher `Lakshmi’ who I came to know was an Anganwadi worker. Lakshmi informed me that this is an Anganwadi Centre and every morning about 40 children from the village come here without fail to have nutritious food and to learn through creative games. Lakshmi also informed me that there is a regular health check-up of these children and their growth is closely monitored.

Suddenly I could hear a loud laughter of these children. It was a play time for them. A teacher dressed like a lion, wearing a mask of lion, was teaching these young buds about the animal kingdom. I could see a lot of teaching happening through colorful toys, colorful books and recitation of poems as the day progressed. Priyanka a child of 4 years, whose name I came to know later, is the star performer at the Anganwadi. Whether it is a small skit or a poem recitation or even a beautiful dance on a latest bollywood hit, I could see Priyanka on top of the charts.

You can only enjoy all this once you either become a child or you go back to your childhood. I was missing both.

The teacher rang the bell and it was time for the lunch. With the careful hand wash of all the children, they were made to sit in a circle and were served the hot poha with groundnuts on a clean steel plate with a spoon, a diet which is understood to be a healthy diet for these children.

My eyes were admiring the way these children were finishing off their meals. But my eyes rolled and stopped on a girl who was busy in something else.

She was very meticulously sorting out groundnuts from the poha and keeping them aside. Every groundnut was picked up delicately and kept on one side of the plate. As she segregated the groundnuts from the meal she very religiously started eating poha. I was surprised, how come she did not like groundnuts. I asked Lakshmi and she could not control her smile, `her name is Mumal’, she replied. `She is an amazing child, very selective in eating. She will first eat poha and then she will relish groundnuts, one by one’. Indeed, she did the same. After finishing the poha Mumal enjoyed every nut of the groundnut. It was amazing to see such sharp intelligence and liking in a rural girl of just 4 years old.

But who has set-up these Anganwadi Centres, I asked Lakshmi. These Centres are being run by Hindustan Zinc which is a company of Vedanta Group and these Centres are known as “Vedanta Bal Chetna Anganwadi Centres”. Lakshmi also informed that Hindustan Zinc has been running 1500 such Anganwadi Centres in Rajasthan under their CSR (corporate social responsibility) commitment and through this program 50,000 children are being attended from the deep rural areas.

While I was interacting with Lakshmi, I noticed a small girl pulling my kurta and asking me to eat some of her meal. I was just touched by her gesture. `She is Prerna’ Lakshmi told me. `A very naughty child who has already had her pohas and because her stomach is full, she is asking you to finish it off’. I smiled at her and questioned. Without uttering a word, she showed me her tummy which actually looked completely full. I could not stop laughing. I knew the memory of being with these children would travel with me a long way.

It was a strange feeling. The innocence of these children did not make me realize how the time was passing, and my heart was never allowing me to leave.

It is unexplainable how my heart felt when 40 children wished me a `Good Bye’ and asked me to come again. It was a joy that also brought some tears in my eyes. I wished if I could stay with them some time more. You call them Anganwadi Children, but I will recognize them as `Vedanta Sparrows’.

I decided to alter my program. I had come to visit the famous monuments of Rajasthan but now I am inclined to see the glimpse of development of rural people in Rajasthan.

My journey continues…

Story in `Down to Earth' magazine - Issue October 16-31, 2011