"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
2 Aug 2023
A group of semi-literate tribal women from Gujarat's Dang district has created a multi-crore enterprise, the Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO). The FPO has provided employment to scores of women, transforming their lives and defying societal expectations.
Due to the limited market, women farmers sold their harvest individually, resulting in a stagnant financial condition. To overcome this, the voluntary organization, Aga Khan Village Support Programme (India) (AKRSPI), assembled a collective of tribal women. The aim was to organize their agricultural operations, enabling them to secure better prices for their produce, increasing their decision-making influence, and enhancing their economic status.
Through the combined efforts of these determined women, a total of 1,170 shareholders have been officially registered as of January 2023. The organization's female workforce has achieved a modest turnover of about Rs 1.85 crore this year (2022-23), mainly through the sale of agricultural seeds, farming equipment, organic medicines, fish seeds, poultry feed, and various other products.
Empowered with knowledge of their rights, these remarkable women have taken charge of their communities, addressing essential issues such as access to clean water, road infrastructure, and sanitation facilities through the platform of panchayats.
The success of the FPO has spread to the district level, and farmers from Maharashtra's border villages also come to get these seeds at low costs. The initiative has helped these women to conveniently obtain seeds at a reasonable price by simply making a phone call and negotiating from the comfort of their homes.
The FPO has not only improved the economic status of the women but a has also empowered them to address community issues and create positive change.