The Village Store Web

About Us-Objective 1. To provide market access to rural micro-business units producing environment friendly products and using labour intensive production process. 2. To sensitize the consumers to use eco-friendly products thereby contributing towards Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction.

About Us-The Team Mr. Vinaykumar G. ! Exp:14 years. Pratham, Societe Generale, IDBI Bank Ltd., ABN Amro Bank, BNP Paribas and ICICI Bank Ltd. ! Ed: Masters in Finance, Bachelor of Commerce, Mumbai University. ! The right experience gives an edge to your professionalism and Vinay has acquired the right acumen having served in different roles with various foreign & private sector banks for nearly 12 years. ! He has been working in the development sector full time for the past two years with core competencies in conceptualizing and setting up new initiatives for youth in income generation opportunities. Ms. Bhavana Parab ! Exp : 2 years. Pratham, Niramaya Health Foundation (NHF). ! Ed: Bachelors in Social Work from College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan ! She is currently pursuing Masters in Social Entrepreneurship from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies. ! She has a strong foundation of grassroot work built on her experience with Pratham and NHF supported by her education.

Background-The Need " 58% of India’s population are engaged in agriculture and its allied activities, but its share in country’s GDP has declined from 48.7% in 1950 to 24.4 % in 1996- 97 and further 18.7% in 2007. (Source Economic Survey 2006-07) " From the figures of employment and ‘contribution to GDP’ indicate presence of disguised unemployment. " According to Economic Survey 06-07, 60% of the rural households also take up alternative income opportunities, but most of them do not achieve sustainability due to " Lack of awareness about market needs and hence end up making varieties of a single product; " Product cost and quality mismatch; " Govt. sponsored training programs do not provide training to units in marketing techniques, product pricing, market mix, packaging, etc.; " Poor entrepreneurial skills; " Do not practice cost control techniques; " Do not focus much on producing products that are required by the market on a regular basis but produce craft items which do not have a regular market.

Who are our customers Customer 1- Micro business units. The characteristic of these units are ! small level of capitalization; ! initiated and managed by a household or few individuals; ! self employment (owner is manager and worker); ! simple technology and equipment; ! utilization of local resources/raw materials; ! transactions are often informal (no written agreement, based on personal contacts); and ! producing environmental friendly products. Customer 2- Consumers who appreciates ! quality and eco-friendly products- would like to move from conventional to environmental friendly products; ! knowledge and skills of rural artisans; and ! contribute towards village development

Methodology Step 1 ! Identification of the micro business units who ! Wish to develop regular market for their products and is receptive to change; ! Produces handcrafted environmental friendly products; ! Pays fair wages to its craftsmen; ! Provides clean working conditions; ! Adopts strict No Child Labor Policy; ! Provides continuous training to the artisans and ! Undertakes village/community development activities. ! Step 2 ! Conduct market investigation of the products and share market feedback with the unit; ! Assisting the unit to understand their core competencies and areas of improvement; ! Accordingly network the unit with resources for their capacity building.

Methodology Step 3 ! Market identification for the product; ! Meeting consumers and sensitizing them to use eco friendly products; ! Showcasing the art and skills of the artisans; ! Customizing the product as per consumer needs to develop a regular market for the product; ! Soft Selling with 10% margin to meet overhead cost ! Step 4 ! Assist the unit to be able to respond as per market needs; ! Assist the unit to reach out to more number of artisans; ! Develop linkages between the units and consumers for market sustainability; ! Continue Selling and also explore new products/new units

Services that we offer ! For the Micro Business Unit ! Opportunity scanning; ! Market investigation for their products and provide market information; ! Networking for product design improvement; ! Marketing and selling their products and help them develop linkages so that they can achieve sustainability; ! Continuously assessing the entrepreneur’s needs and networking for capacity building. ! For the Consumers ! Innovative ideas to contribute towards sustainable development - development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs; ! Opportunity to contribute towards village development and poverty reduction.

Products • Handmade Paper Products: Products like desktops, greeting cards, envelops and corporate gifts • These papers are wood free, are made out of cotton waste and banana fiber and uses no harmful chemicals. • The entire process is handmade and uses solar energy for drying the paper sheets. • The products are further value added with Warli Paintings, a traditional art which needs to be conserved. • Bamboo Products: Products like jewelry, lamp shades, desktops, corporate gifts, home products, etc. • Bamboo is a highly renewable material and one of the earth’s fastest growing plants, with some species growing up to 3 feet per day. • It needs no replanting, no fertilizer, and can be harvested in controlled stands in 3-5 years. • Hardwood forest on the other hand requires 15-20 years to mature. • Bamboo also releases 35% more oxygen than equivalent timber stands.

Products • Natural Fiber Products: Products like corporate gifts, Bags - Executive, Shopping, Travel, etc., soft furnishing products, etc. • Products are made using the natural indigenous plants occurring in places like riverbeds which would not otherwise be used. • Many other products are also made from agricultural waste bi-products like banana rope being made from banana tree trunk which is normally discarded after the banana is harvested. • Forest Honey: Bee specie Apis Dorsata • Truly Organic since collected from the forest and forest does not use any pesticides or insecticides • High on medicinal properties since rockbees naturally forage on rare species of plants and tree flowers in the forest • High in fruit sugar as compared to honey produced by domesticated bees • Helps in forest conservation since facilitates pollination

Products ! Producer Groups: ! Uravu Indigenous Science & Technology Study Center, Wayand ! In to Bamboo crafts and bamboo food products for the past 10 years ! Currently reaching out to 500 households through various community activities. ! Providing employment to 150 households through craft center and their annualised income rose by 95% ! ROPE, Chennai ! Incubated by TeNet, IIT Chennai with a mission of linking rural artisan and craftsmen with ICT applications. ! Providing employment to 200 households with 80% being women and their annualized income rose by 166% ! Currently have around 9 units in Tamil Nadu producing products made out of Natural Fiber ! Srinivasan Service Trust, Tiruneveli. ! Incubated by TVS Groups as part of their social responsibility ! Currently providing education, health and livelihood support to 280 villages in Tamil Nadu. ! The unit is also making Handmade paper from Banana fiber and currently employs 20 women ! Center for Bee Development, Wardha ! Incubated by Department of Science & Technology, GOI and has been working on scientific collection of honey from forest for the past 25 years. ! Currently supports 80 tribal honey collectors and has helped them to increase their earnings by 110% over a period of one year. ! The initiative also supports Shanti Hastkala, Valsad which employs 20 women producing Handmade paper products with Warli paintings

Price and Service Structure SHG Units SHG Units SHG Units SHG Units Pays fair wages Village Producer Unit Quality Checks Ensures regular income Maintains production schedule Ensures quality working condition 20% margin over direct cost to Maintains common facility center Conducts village development activities meet indirect expenses Overhead expenses Market identification Provides a platform to the market to Market investigation and feedback The Village Store make movement from conventional Developing regular market products to Eco friendly products. Networking for capacity building 10% margin for selling cost Contribute towards Sustainable Development and poverty reduction Consumers

You can… ! initiate small initiatives to move from conventional products to Eco Friendly Products; ! share the value add of using eco friendly products with your staff and customers by sensitizing them. ! make purchases and contribute towards village development; ! help in generating more income earning opportunities in rural India and eventually reduce city migration; ! help in the conservation of traditional arts and crafts; ! help in making the best use of locally available raw materials which otherwise would have been neglected; ! Your support shall also help us to reach to larger number of rural units and thus pass on the benefits to many.

http://www.ekya.org	94
http://ekya.org	1
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	1

The Village Store Web

by Ekya, Inc on Sep 02, 2009

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

3 Embeds 96

Statistics

The Village Store Web — Presentation Transcript