Raw material support for women entrepreneurs

In Salem district, the impacts of COVID-19 are very high among the vulnerable communities. Particularly, the lives of underserved communities are drastically affected for the last two years. They lost their survival basic income and struggled for daily bread.

In our target area, most of the women are rescued from bonded laborer system; they had been supported to income generating resources and prevented from exploitation of slavery. The women were developed as self entrepreneurs. They engaged in coir producing activities and earn regular income before the pandemic. But the sudden impact of COVID-19, they lost everything; they depend on others for basic survival. Most of the women lost their relatives; they spend their belongings to manage the crisis. They had spent all their savings during the lockdown days.

After the new normal, they have no capital investment to restart their income generating activities. Hence, RWDT mobilized resources for these women from various sources. Raw fibers were purchased from whole sale merchants. About 90 women were supported raw fiber bundles to restart their income generation activities. Now the women have raw fiber for more than 2 week work. They could produce coir products and get income with profit. After repeating these activities, their financial position will become good. They could overcome the crisis of pandemic. The major beneficiaries are victims of the COVID-19, all from the rural villages of Tharamangalam block. Through this program 90 women and 340 family members are supported livelihood and prevented from the vicious cycle of poverty.