Khargone/Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A group of six tribal women, calling themselves ‘Sakhi Saheli’ has established a soap-making unit in Jamli village, Khargone district. They have set an example of women empowerment in the district.
Redefining the concept of a self-help group (SHG), these women have also created a market by supplying the products in government-run institutions, various camps organised in the district and connecting areas.
These women have named their soap ‘Khargone Ka Apan Sabun’ (Khargone’s soap). They started the business a year ago. The business has helped the women in their livelihood.
Soap bars were made up of aloe vera, neem, lemon, sandalwood, rose and other flower petals.
President of SHG, Ranjana Chouhan says that the production of the shop is on but they are receiving less orders due to the ongoing pandemic. She also requested people to use chemical-free soap.
Ranjana said, “In the year 2018, we received financial support from the State Rural Livelihood Mission and we started making papads, but that did not work. After that we started making Vaseline and Vicks but that also did not last long.
Later, they took training from Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) which gave them knowledge and confidence as well. After that they decided to start new work and they came up with the idea of making soap. There were 10 women in the group but six women earned expertise and started working together, Ranjana added.
“After training, we got a loan of Rs 75,000 from the State Rural Livelihood Mission. We purchased cents, glycerin, molds, colours, and packing machines from Ahmedabad. After collecting the essentials, we started the production of the shop,” Ranjana said.
Secretary of Jyoti Chouhan said that they had not only emphasised manufacturing but also started selling their product through stalls in the past one year. They used to sell their products during the various government camps organized in the district. So far more than a thousand soaps have been sold through such events.
Jyoti further said that they lagged behind their target because of the COVID induced lockdown. They were trying to figure out steps to increase their production once the situation gets normal, Jyoti added.
The Sakhi Saheli include SHG president Ranjana Chouhan, secretary Jyoti Chouhan, Sheetal Chouhan, Alka Chouhan, Annapurna Chouhan, and Mamta Nirgude
