NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

This is the story of women Self Help Group (SHG) named “Durga Syam Shayata Samuh” of village Bhawanipura, Block Masuda, District Ajmer (Raj.). The SHG with 12 members was formed under IFFCO-Tokio Integrated Rural Development Project (IIRDP) being implemented in District Ajmer (Raj.).The members of the SHG undertook a microenterprise based on need of the area to generate income for their livelihood collectively.

The village Bhawanipura is situated near to the Gram Panchayat village Kharwa. The village Kharwa is situated on the National highway Number-8 i.e. Delhi-Ahmedabad. The bus stand of village Kharwa is the central place for about 30 nearby villages for taking buses to commute to cities of the district, state and outside the state. Therefore, the Kharwa Bus Stand has converted as a good market place for the passengers. There are number of shops of street food and snacks which needs disposable cup and plates to serve the food and snacks to the customers. The shopkeepers use to buy the disposable cup-plates from the cities like Beawar and Ajmer etc. The small shopkeepers needs less in quantity while, the supply from whole sellers is in bulk quantity. The small shopkeepers were facing problem because they are not capable financially to purchase the cup-plates in bulk quantity.

In view of the available opportunity and market demand, the Durga SHG planned to start manufacturing of disposable paper plate’s microenterprise for their income generation. The plan was discussed with IFFCO-Tokio CSR project officials and accordingly, the project helped in setting up paper plate manufacturing machine alongwith onetime raw material. To build the capacity of the SHG on manufacturing and management of the unit, Project arranged 7-days onsite training for SHG members. The SHG started manufacturing of disposable paper plates as per requirement of the local market. The SHG members are procuring the raw material from the nearby city Beawar and supplying to the local shopkeepers as per their requirement and demand. The small shopkeepers as well as the big shopkeepers are purchasing the paper plates from the Durga SHG.

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As the microenterprise is as per the market demand, it got success and help in earning about Rs. 10,000 per month as net profit to the SHG. The SHG has earned net profit of Rs. 64,795/- in five months duration by selling the disposable paper plates in the local market they are having the stock of the Paper plates & Cup of worth Rs. 8,000/- means their total net profit is about 72,795/- in five month period. However, the women members of the SHG are working in spare time only after completing their household chorus. Now, the members of Durga SHG are planning to devote more time and expand their business as their male partners are also encouraging them because they are now earning entity for their families. Moreover, the small shopkeepers are also very much happy to get the disposal plates and dona (cups) even in small quantity at local level.

The SHG members are extremely thankful to the IFFCO-Tokio Integrated Rural Development Project for extending help economically and technically in setting up their microenterprises which has true significance of “Necessity is the Mother of Invention”.