Homemaker turns soft toy entrepreneur

In Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan little Sonu and his friend sit playing with his stuffed animals. 

A long-limbed monkey, a stocky little camel and a crocodile – fashioned from colourful cloth, his soft toys are unbreakable, washable and affordable. 

“I want each of the women in my shop to earn at least Rs 100 at the end of each day,” says Verma. 

Made by Chandrakala Verma and a group of village women, these toys are available as handicraft souvenirs at Shilpgram, a craft complex set up by Rajasthan Tourism. Located in the city of Sawai Madhopur, Shilpgram is an extension of Ranthambore National Park, known for its rich tiger population that attracts a considerable number of tourists.

But it was not always easy for these women and other villagers to earn a living.

When the forests became a national park

When the forests in and around Ranthambore became a national park between 1980 and 1992, many of the people in the surrounding villages lost their access to the swaths of land that became reserved areas. 

The villagers used to forage for wood, fruits and small game birds in these forests, for their own use and to sell. 

Though tourism boomed, there was hardly any employment for the villagers. With population increasing and almost no source of livelihood, the administration feared that the human–animal interactions and the chances of illegal activities would increase in the reserved areas.

Training for alternate livelihoods

In 2009 the Ministry of Rural Development initiated Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI), a joint programme of the central and state governments managed by banks. RSETIs provide free training and assistance to villagers of 18-45 years of age, orienting them towards self-employment for alternate livelihoods.  

It is through this RSETI and ACCESS Development Services – a national livelihoods support organisation – that Chandrakala Verma of Alanpur village of Sawai Madhopur and 35 other women from her village received training in 2013 to make soft toys and food products. 

After the training, Verma started working in a shop at Shilpgram. However, it paid her just Rs 100 a month in the beginning. 

An enterprising toy maker

Undeterred about her low income, she continued to make soft toys whenever she had time. Soon she was deftly sewing up colourful small toy animals like turtles, horses, monkeys, camels and a few decorative items. 

“While most women who received training with me in different things did not pursue any of that, I wanted to do something and earn. So I continued to make toys,” says Verma.

She started displaying a few of her toys in some of the craft shops in Shilpgram. When the toys she made were selling fast, she felt encouraged to open a shop. She raised a loan of Rs 10,000 through a self-help group and became a craft entrepreneur. 

Since she participated in various cultural festivals, her soft toys attracted some B2B clients. As of now Verma supplies customised bulk orders to at least three clients – an NGO in Surat and two online shops. 

The craft entrepreneur employs local women

Her success as an entrepreneur inspired other women to want to step out of their homes. Not only did Verma train them but she also employed them. 

“I have a shop at Shilpgram and about 20 women work with me now in my shop,” she beams proudly. 

Verma and her group of women buy leftover cloth pieces from Sawai Madhopur in batches of 10-15 kilograms to make the toys. After tending to their household chores each of these women produces at least five toys every day. 

“I want each of the women in my shop to earn at least Rs 100 at the end of each day,” says Verma. 

The income from the sale of toys has made it possible to meet this goal. The women working in her shop are able to earn up to Rs 5,000 per month. 

Inspiring other women to be self reliant

An active member of a few self-help groups in Ranthambore, Verma worked relentlessly by visiting homes and explaining to their families about the training and its benefits. She managed to involve more women from other villages to take up training and make a living according to their skills. 

“There’s a lot of change in people’s mindset now. Women are coming forward to work and their families are not stopping them from going out,” she says. 

Now women are involved in a number of livelihoods. While some women have started making pickles and snack items, 10 women have started driving auto rickshaws. 

In 2018 when Chandrakala’s shop and toy-making was still at a nascent stage, RSETI at Sawai Madhopur nominated Chandrakala Verma’s name for a national award. 

“There’s nothing women can’t do”

“I was selected for an award for the soft toys I was making. I was awarded five lakh rupees and travelled by air for the first time,” she says shyly, on winning the prestigious national craftsman award. 

Chandrakala gushes with pride when she says she bought a two-wheeler with her savings. 

“My son taught me how to ride. Earlier I used to walk 4 km to come to Shilpgram from my village. But now I can come in my two-wheeler,” she says.

Chandrakala Verma is very hopeful of changing times. 

“There’s nothing women can’t do. They just need to have faith in themselves and a desire to be self-sufficient. And, if the husband lends support and understanding, she can achieve so much more with confidence,” she says, as her hands continue to bring life to the colourful cloth pieces.  

The lead image at the top of this page shows one of the soft toys made by Chandrakala Verma (Photo by Shoma Abhyankar). Read her journey in her own words here.

Shoma Abhyankar is an independent journalist who writes about culture, heritage, food and environment.