A team of officials from the Puducherry government interacted with women self-help group members (SHGs) working at Ariyur near Vellore on Friday to get first-hand information about their products, manufacturing details and marketing strategies adopted by them to earn a livelihood.
The team, led by Oulgaret Municipality M. Kandasamy, were briefed by women workers on the handicraft toys manufacturing unit as well as about the handmade mementos manufacturing unit.
Products get a platform for display at various exhibitions in the government departments, the entrepreneurs told the officials.
The groups were aided by the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) by providing training in tailoring, making toys, pickles and sanitary napkins.
Each self-help group maintains around 10-12 members and one member from each group forms part of the area-level federation of SHGs. There are 55-60 federations working across the Vellore district.
Mr. Kandasamy said he was given to understand that SHG working women in Vellore were pioneers in helping other women and ensuring livelihood to rural population.
The NRLM support and the women’s dedicated efforts made them rich in their ideas of innovating products and skilful marketing techniques.
“There are about 490 groups in Puducherry and we take this message to them for implementation at their levels,” he said.
Assistant Project Officer, Mahalir Thittam, K. Jayakanthan, Community Organisers M. Durai, S. Priyavani and C. Thiruselvi briefed the officials on the ongoing projects undertaken by the State government in the Vellore region for the welfare of rural women.
