Daringbadi: Women self-help groups (SHGs) in Sulumaha in Sraniketa panchayat here in Kandhamal district are slowly but steadily marching towards success in their endeavour.
Their unique methods have given them a new recognition. Unlike, normal SHGs that avail loans from banks and invest the money in small businesses that earn them profits, the tribal women here have taken to collecting forest produce including fruits, seeds and nuts with medicinal value.
The women then prepare different kinds of ayurvedic medicines or sell the produce in markets that fetch them good returns.
The SHG members collect amla, harad, baheda and other medicinal fruits, nuts, roots and herbs from nearby jungles. After collection, these fruits and other things are boiled and then dried up to prepare ayurvedic medicines.
These are then sold to traditional healers or ayurvedic medicine manufacturing companies.
“Fifteen members of Sulumaha SHG have so far invested something around Rs 1.5 lakh. While they have stocked about 10 quintals of amla for sale, their aim is to make it double in coming days,” secretary of the group Prabhasini Pradhan said, adding some 500 kg of harad has been dried up.
In order to make best of their efforts, these members have received the required training as well.
“Women of 116 groups have undergone training for the proper way of collecting, preserving and processing of amla, harad and baheda. They are in search of proper channels to reach reputed ayurvedic medicinal companies so that their profit margin can be increased,” says leader of Grace SHG Suryakanti Pradhan.
Echoing similar opinion, secretary of the SHG Namojini Pradhan said if the government takes a few steps in helping SHGs and provides processing machines to them, they can work more efficiently.