Recipe for success – mix a heap of millets, a handful of chocolate, a large amount of inspiration and an empowering self-help group and, voilà! Rajasthani women who never set foot outside their homes without a veil are now flying across India selling their food.
It was just staying at home, doing chores and herding goats for Radha Devi, day in and day out until a few years ago.
Radha Devi, 35, who lives in the Kherad village of Jhadol block in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district, would never step out of her house alone, without a veil covering her face. But today, she travels to cities to take part in exhibitions and fairs.
Things changed when Radha joined the Gavri Millets Panarwa, a women-led entrepreneur self-help group (SHG) of 13 members, started in 2022 with the support of Seva Mandir, an Indian grassroots NGO based in Udaipur.
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Not only did her personality transform, but joining the group resulted in others’ perceptions of her changing for the better. She also gained more agency in household decision-making.
“I was given millet seeds from Seva Mandir which I grew and made chocolate laddoos from. We were also told to make and bring raab (a natural home remedy to build immunity that is often made in Gujarati and Rajasthani households) to exhibit and sell at the Udaipur fair. I was embarrassed to do so because raab is something we make at home when there are no vegetables, rice or lentils so it’s a poor person’s food for us,” she says.
“But I was taken aback to see how educated people, tourists from the city, were buying it. They liked the taste and praised me even more when I told them it was made from millet. Some even asked for the recipe,” Radha adds with excitement.
After Radha joined the group, other members of her community also got inspired to do so. Eventually, with more women participating, it increased millets-based food consumption in the village.
Ganita Devi is another member of the SHG who takes part in exhibitions and fairs to promote millet-based products and recipes.
My life has changed drastically, ever since I joined the group and started going out of the house to make my own identity instead of relying on my husband for every small need.
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“My life has changed drastically, ever since I joined the group and started going out of the house to make my own identity instead of relying on my husband for every small need,” Ganita tells Village Square.
“Never in my life had I imagined I would see an airplane from close quarters but I got to sit in one because of the group when we went to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister. I was so scared when the flight took off but when I returned, my neighbours, children and husband were so proud of me. These were the same people who would earlier question me for ‘roaming around’,” she adds.
Radha and Ganita, along with other women of the SHG, sell the products they make from the millets. The income generated is used to buy more seeds and repeat the process.
This has not only helped the women to run a small business but also be self-reliant in fulfilling their daily needs, without having to ask for help from their husbands.
The women say that they knew only how to make traditional food but Seva’s intervention helped them learn so many new recipes. Chocolate has been a highlight.
They say that going outside the village was a dream that has been fulfilled. They have been to Jaipur, Shimla and Udaipur.
Until a few years ago, none of these women had phones. They could barely answer calls on their husband’s phone but today they know how to use online payment modes. “We all have smartphones now and take money from customers online too,” says an elated Radha.
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The lead image at the top shows how women from Kherad village in Udaipur district have shed the veil to turn millet entrepreneurs. (Photo by Jigyasa Mishra)
Jigyasa Mishra is a journalist from north India who writes primarily about women’s issues and public health.
