KHAMMAM: What started with eight women and a bag of millets in Bhadrachalam is rippling through the tribal community. Trained by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), these former daily wagers now run a dual enterprise: crafting nutrient-packed biscuits sold near the temple and manufacturing vital sanitary napkins supplied to schools. Their success isn’t just income; it’s a beacon inspiring countless others.
Eight tribal women received training at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, and began producing a range of biscuits made of millets, including foxtail, little millet, kodo millet, finger millet and jowar. They have also ventured into sanitary napkin production, manufacturing around 40,000 napkins in three months. These are being supplied to Gurukul schools in the region, with each pack priced affordably at Rs 28.
To market their millet products, the women set up stalls near the Bhadrachalam temple and other public spaces, selling millet biscuits priced between Rs 60 and Rs 120 per kg. Recognising their efforts, ITDA Project Officer B Rahul sanctioned Rs 1 lakh for a biscuit-making machine to help scale their operations.
“We were once daily wage labourers. With ITDA’s training and support, we now make millet biscuits and napkins,” says Uke Venkata Lakshmi, one of the women. Alongside Tati Lalitha, J Samakka and Soya Mangya, she highlighted the health benefits of millets, especially for children and the elderly. “The community response has been very encouraging. We hope to expand and create more employment for tribal women.”
Rahul tells TNIE, “We are identifying unique skills among tribal women who were earlier confined to fieldwork and are encouraging them towards entrepreneurship.”