The evidence of true will- Market outlet for SHG products at FCDP Kollam

The women folk from FCDP (Fishermen Community Development Programme) and TMS (Theeradesa Mahila Sangam), Kollam district have always made pragmatic decisions and showed enormous confidence in their ventures. The irresistible zests of these women were visible even in the past to make a way forward to a better life. BREADS has delighted in their achievements and will to become self-reliant as they had showed every positive gesture towards the entrepreneurship training, capacity building, production and marketing training provided under the “Sustained Income for Rural Women through Entrepreneurial activities and Social Empowerment”. The women folk not just remained as passive attendees but instead tread forward to become successful entrepreneurs by setting up a shop exclusively for the women groups to sell the home made products prepared by the women folks from self-help groups, to a large extent positively addressing the problem of effectively managing the sale and marketing of the products.

Though the market outlet was initiated in the month of July 2018, the official inauguration was organised on 5^th of September 2018.  The women folks walked into their new venture “Healthy food and home care products”- a shop opened to sell the products produced by the self-help groups. The new shop supported by  BREADS’ project Sustained Income for Rural Women through Entrepreneurial activities and Social Empowerment was inaugurated by Fr. Sunny Uppan, Parish Priest, St. Stephen’s Church Thope, Kollam. On the occasion he appreciated the women for their new start up and wished them success. The inauguration was felicitated by Fr. Joby, Director, FCDP, Ms. Sindhu, President, TMS and Ms. Agnus. The auspicious ceremony marked the presence of other board members, staff and community members. The shop intend to promote the use of homemade products and avail the items such as curry masala, home care products, coffee powder, tea dust, cardamom, other spices and textiles. The new endeavour will connect the SHGs in common platform where the women will be motivated to strengthen their entrepreneurship so as to earn them a decent and stable income.