Path-Breaking Initiative! These Tribal Women In Chhattisgarh Operate Eatery In Maoist-Affected District

The Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh is infamous for Maoist violence; however, taking a path-breaking initiative, a group of tribal women are operating an eatery in the region to ensure a sustainable livelihood for their families.

The eatery is named 'Manva Dhaba' (My Dhaba) and has been operational since May in Bade Karli village on Geedam-Bijapur Road. It is a part of livelihood generation moves carried out by the district authority at a gauthan (a shelter for cattle), reported NDTV.

Manva Dhaba Managed By 10 Women

Under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), the Dantewada administration provided funds to establish the facility on 3,000 sq ft of land next to the gauthan, which is 6 km from Geedam town, an official said.

The eatery 'Manva Dhaba' is managed by ten women from 'Boss Bodin' self-help Group (SHG) associated with the gauthan. These women were once restricted to just farming activities and household chores, he said.

"Earlier, my family depended only on agriculture activities for livelihood. Since I joined this SHG, my self-confidence has grown. Our group had been earning good money through the cow dung procurement scheme, and now the dhaba is making a good profit," Archana Kurram, a group member, said.

About The Eatery

'Manva Dhaba' has become popular among the locals in a brief period of time and offers both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. On peak days, the daily sale reaches around ₹ 20,000 per day, the district authority said.

So far, the eatery has done a business worth ₹ 8 lakh and encouraged by the success, the group now intends to begin tiffin services soon, he said.

Currently, each group member is earning a decent amount of ₹ 5,000 to ₹ 6,000 per month. The initiative has made women self-sustaining and helped them contribute to their families finances, the official said.

Dantewada District Collector Appreciates The Efforts

कलेक्टर ने की मनवाढाबा की दीदियों की प्रशंसा
ग्राहक बन दीदियों द्वारा बनाये गए जायकेदार भोजन का उठाया लुत्फhttps://t.co/zf8kPcztTq @ChhattisgarhCMO @DPRChhattisgarh pic.twitter.com/MJsvMC3tDV

— Dantewada (@DantewadaDist) September 10, 2022

Dantewada collector Vinit Nadanwar appreciated the tribal women and stated they had come together by smashing stereotypes and have taken up roles that men once monopolised.

He said that the concept was presented as part of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's vision to develop gauthans into multi-activity centres and forge livelihood earning means for women SHGs associated with it.

The enterprise is not only helping women become self-dependent, but they are also playing an essential role in improving the family economy, the collector added.

In gauthans, apart from cow dung procurement, several income-generating activities, such as vermicompost and super compost production, and community vegetable gardening, are being conducted with the involvement of women SHGs, he added.

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