Women who transformed their lives

Bindu was a tuition teacher five years ago, confined to her home at Pravachambalam, playing the role of a sweety pie wife. A graduate in Sanskrit, she was taken to reading traditional books on ayurveda and health care. And one day, a friend suggested that she turn to Kudumbashree to come up with some kind of ayurveda product."I kept the idea at bay for one year, trying to understand and learn all about Kudumbashree. Then we four women started ‘Athira hair tone’, a mix of 18 types of herbal plants. We took them to the monthly fairs arranged by Kudumbashree and slowly people came asking for it. We named our enterprise ‘Ishwariya’, and today it has 15 products, including Brahmi herbal mix, Brahmi jam and the latest, Brahmi syrup, which was launched last week,’’ she says.In the last five years, she has not looked back. "We take our products to shops and now they have found a steady market,’’ Bindu says. Hers is now a group of ten, which also has Ajitha, Lekha, Lathika, Latha, Girija, Maya, Usha, Tulasi and Rema.She began with dental powderOmana was working as a pharmacist in her brother’s ayurvedic centre and knew much about herbal mixes and their uses. When she decided to become an entrepreneur, it was, however, dental powder that she chose to make first.She made 2 kilos of it and stuffed it in plastic covers, took them to ‘Ayalkootam’ to sell. "It was the most difficult days, I could not find buyers. The whole thing that I had made was worth Rs 30,000. I went door-to-door, met people I knew and then Kudumbashree District Mission helped me find markets. A couple of months later, there was demand for the product. It’s been seven years now, and there has been no looking back,’’ says Omana, who is from Perambra, Kozhikode.‘Danthasree’ became a hit and Omana and a couple of women then began trying other ayurvedic products. Their enterprise, ‘Yogasidha’, now has 12 products under its wings. "Now, the problem is to meet the demand,’’ she smiles. The latest from their kitty is ‘Unniyarcha herbal oil’, which has been displayed at the expo.Success with snacksFathima Abdulla, all the way from Kanhangad, would floor you with her Malabari accent and warmth. She was a housewife and a wonderful cook before Kudumbashree beckoned her out of the house. She decided to try out her dishes for the public.She prepared typical Malabari snacks like ‘piriyada, khaja, poriyunda’ and the like and they were sold off like hot cakes. Then, some four years back, she took a couple of bottles of ayurvedic oil best for body pains, made by her husband, a traditional physician. It clicked and now she and her four friends market the oil in the name of ‘Shifa marma thailam’ which is available at the Gramashree outlet in Thiruvananthapuram and in Kudumbashree home shoppes across the state."At the time of  Haj and Ramzan, we have bulk orders for the snacks. We are trying hard to meet the demand. The oil, however, is slow in sales since it is not something emptied overnight. But both are being sought after,’’ Fathima sounds proud.Popular soapsMany would know ‘Origin’ soaps by now, they are a common sight at all Kudumbashree fairs. A couple of women, led by Sindhu, belonging to Cherukulathur in Kozhikode, are behind the venture. From two,  they now have 14 varieties of soaps being rolled out from their unit. Pramod Kumar, who has been employed by the women to market the products, says it has found takers among foreigners. "They are not taken in by the fragrance as people here are; instead, they look for the ingredients and love to have homemade soaps. When you add fragrance, it kills quality. Our soaps are rich in ingredients, best for skincare,’’ he says. Sandalwood, red sandal and many other varieties are now available from them. They export soaps to Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Goa.‘Komfortable’ LivesTheirs was the first Kudumbashree unit to try making sanitary napkins. Importing cotton from other states and equipping themselves with professional training, two women, Lisy Martin and Mini Baby, belonging to Ettumanoor in Kottayam, started the venture some five years back. They have named their product ‘Komfort’. Initially, they went around girls’ hostels and garment shops to market their products. Then, after Kudumbashree home shoppes came into being, their product received more attention.On an average, 35,000 packets are sold every month, Lisy says. Lately, two units - in Idukki and Kasargod - have taken up sanitary napkin production. "We gave them training, since we were the first to embark on it,’’ Mini says.Cooking helpedAnnamma’s is an individual venture. She, being a fine cook, tried out her pickle recipes with her nearest and dearest, which instantly clicked. She then approached Kudumbashree and started selling pickles through the monthly fairs organised by them. When demand grew, she gave attention to its packing and marketing. Now, you can find Anna’s pickles at major stores, including Agri-Bazaar and Gramashree in Saphalyam complex.She is the ADS president in Valiyathura ward, the reason why she wants to keep it a single-woman affair."I am very busy with my Kudumbashree activities. If it is a collective venture, I would have to keep time. Now, I can do the cooking whenever I have time and my family helps me pack,’’ Anna is all smiles.Biggest successWe kept the best for the last as it has now become a major achievement of Kudumbashree - the apparel consortium. The ‘Kadambari’ (ladies wear) and ‘Napstar’ (men’s wear) products churned out from 11 apparel units of Kudumbashree have become yet another feather in its cap. ‘’We have 296 people working in the consortium. We also make travel bags, brassiere, cloth bags, aprons and nighties under the consortium,’’ says Hemalatha, who is the president of the consortium.Though they do not have a unit in Thiruvananthapuram, ‘Kadambari’ and ‘Napstar’ are regular guests at trade fairs and you can spot them at Onam fairs in the city too. In Kozhikode, from where Hema and her team are here, there are five units. "We are now in such a position that whatever big order one places, we are able to meet it,’’ she says.