Nabarangpur: A woman lecturer at a private college in this district has become an example for others to emulate by becoming an entrepreneur in running a small scale chocolate unit from her house since October 2019.
She was identified as Sangita Sahu, a woman lecturer in Papdahandi block headquarters of Nabarangpur district. Apart from her job, Sahu has been earning Rs 10,000 per month by making chocolates on the basis of the demands placed by the traders.
She is helped by her husband and mother-in-law in this work. She said women staying in their houses should do something to increase their income which will help them to make some extra income and in becoming self-reliant.
It all started after Sangita, under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, first got a chance from the district administration along with 23 other women to gain training in food processing in the district and later underwent training at Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in Hyderabad, October, 2019. There she received training in making fruit juice, pickles, cakes and chocolates.
After returning from her training, she with the help of her family members ventured into the chocolate business and her brand ‘Golus Chakkii’ available in different flavours gradually started gaining the market share. This apart, she also receives orders for birthdays and various functions while traders visit her house to buy chocolates from her.
Sahu claims her chocolate is chemical-free and sells at a price of Rs 5 per piece in attractive packing of 50gm and 100gm. It takes three hours to prepare two kilograms of chocolate and only seven minutes if it is done through a machine, she said. One can earn around Rs 10,000 per month through this business, she said.
Sahu aims to provide training to other women by establishing a chocolate manufacturing unit in the area. She, however, hopes that the administration should come forward and provide them financial assistance which could help her in advancing her business. Currently, she is facing a slump in business due to the lockdown but that has not shaken her faith in the business she has carved out of her own labour.
PNN