THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:What is that one chore you try to put off until the very last day before a new academic year starts? If it is wrapping school books, then there is hope for you. Helping countless students and parents who dread the mundane job of wrapping school books is Anupama Sandeep, a city-based entrepreneur.
She will ensure your books are covered in brown paper with the mandatory name labels, ready to be tucked into your school bag. The staff will come to your doorstep, collect books and deliver it back in three days.Though there is more than a month left for schools to reopen, Anupama has started getting orders from students and parents, all the way from Kottayam and Palakkad. Women from rural parts of the city have been made part of the venture. “We do take orders even if it is from outside the city. I have roped in Kudumbashree groups for the work,” she says.
The idea occurred to Anupama who runs a startup Young Genius Education in the city whilst planning the modules for the summer school. “Most kids are not independent and so we created a module titled life skills. We included sessions on covering books this year among other such activities. The idea is to make the kids self-dependent. Along with that, I thought of starting a venture like this which would enable housewives to earn an extra income,” she says.
Anupama recalls how she used to leave her books at her father’s shop to get them covered. “He used to have all my books covered with so much precision and they would all be ready by the start of the academic year,” says Anupama. “The tight schedule of parents might make it difficult for them to squeeze in time to cover books for their children. This venture will help working professionals along with providing an extra revenue source to the women involved.”
More than making a profit, the focus is to empower women and offer them a platform to get engaged in activities other than household chores, according to Anupama. For students belonging to the lower economic strata, books will be covered free of cost, she said. Currently, Anupama is taking orders via phone.