The document summarizes the activities of women in the Mandalsahi market in Rayagada block, Odisha. It describes how women's self-help groups (SHGs) supported by the Mahendragiri Cooperative Society are enabling women to start various businesses like making broom sticks, leaf plates, selling vegetables, fruits, fish, general stores, food products, and herbal medicines. The cooperative society provides loans, training, and marketing support to help women establish and grow their businesses. However, issues like lack of cooperation among business holders and an established market committee threaten the market.

1. HATTO at MANDALSAHI

2. Introduction Mandalsahi Village is the tribal hamlet which consists with the indigenous communities of Saora Tribes. It comes under “Gombalo” gram panchayat of Rayagada Block. This market shows the traditional way of trading which has done by the Saora tribes with availability of their local products. Market is running by the Gram Panchayat. Gram panchayat is collecting taxes from business holder for maintaining the market, constructing sheds and building for trading. Under Orissa state government, DRDA has established Rural Marketing Committee but they are not working properly. Past the business holders were formed as a committee but some disputes and misunderstandings have occurred because if this reasons the committee has dissolved.

3. Women status in “SANTHA” In past the women are not able to move freely in their communities because of discrimination and vulnerability . After formation of SHGs, women status has raised and they are taking decisions for Market development. Present the Saora women are doing businesses in Santha. Equally participating in every step of market activities Step forwarded to do small businesses in the mandalsahi market Getting financial, skill and capacity building support from Mahendragiri Cooperative society Taking loans from Mahendragiri Cooperative society at low cost of interest. This loan is directly and indirectly helping to the women for start a business or small scale industries.

4. Women has started their own businesses in the market, listed out as follows Broom sticks CCD has referred Cooperative society to send two SHG groups to Gumma Block for provide training on Broom stick making. In early days the women were exported this broom sticks to Kolkata at the cost of Rs 25/- but when in local market the demand has raised, they stopped to sent this broom sticks to Kolkata. At present the groups are marketing their products in local market at the cost of Rs 35/- to 40/-. When they are marketing this broom sticks to nearby towns, the demand of broomsticks are up to Rs 55/-.Cooperative society is encouraging the women to do collective marketing and individual marketing in “Santha”.

5. Leaf Plates In indigenous communities of Saora especially women are traditionally and occupationally they are making leaf plats with availability of local resources. CCD has found this skill in women and planed to do market this product in local markets. Cooperative has given training to the SHGs in stitching of leaf plates. In past whole sale business holders were offered to SHGs for brought 100pcs of leaf plates at the cost of Rs 38/- but in local market this product have a demand up to Rs 50/- that ’ s why the group members are marketing this leaf plates in local market. In some villages, the saora women are doing collective marketing with the support of local agency. In every village, this agency is going with truck and collecting all the leaf plates at Rs 50/- for 100pcs. In that the agency is collecting the commission of Rs 5/- per 100pcs.

6. Vegetables Saora women are doing vegetable business in “ Santha ” . It is a seasonal business. The women are cropping vegetables in their own agriculture lands. For cropping, marketing and transportation cooperative is providing loan to the SHG members at low cost of interest.

7. Fruits women are marketing fruits in two ways, in that one is whole sale and another retail Whole sale: Before the day of market the women are taking loan from the Cooperative society for purchase pineapples or other seasonal fruits. After purchasing the product they are selling fruits to the retail business holders. After completing the market or next day, they are repaying their loan amount. Retail: women are purchasing fruits from the whole sellers for sale in the “ Santha ” . After completing the market they are saving their profit amount in the cooperative society.

8. Fishery Saora women are collecting fishes from their village ponds, canals or lakes. Mostly they are marketing this fishes in the local market only. For transportation and storage of dry fish etc, the women are taking loan from the cooperative society.

9. General Store and rice business Women are purchasing ULL (Uniliver Ltd) goods and rice from the nearby towns at whole sale price. These goods are selling in the local market at retail prices.

10. Food products Cooperative society is encouraging the women for start a stalls regarding the food products. For purchasing raw materials like wheat, flour and masalas etc, the women are taking loan from the cooperative society.

11. Herbal and Ayurvedic Saora women are preparing herbals from the collection of forest products (NTFP) like shikakai, allovera and neam powder etc. These products are selling in the local market. Also with these products they are making ayurvedic medicines.

12. Poultry birds Mostly in local market the women are doing poultry bird business. Birds are local breeds. The saora women are unskilled in maintenance of poultry birds and also untrained in the marketing of poultry birds.

13. Other business holders Cooperative society has formed business groups in Santha or local market. Initially the cooperative is categorized the business holders as a sector wise, than it formed a business groups. It has provided passbook to the each five members. Weekly once they are saving their amount of Rs 50/- and also taking loan from the cooperative at low cost of interest. They are paying loan at weekly basis. Cooperative motivated the business holders to form a market committee but it has not successfully formed because of disputes and misunderstandings.

14. Issues and threats in market Lack of cooperation between the business holders, its leads to dominate the outside forces. Relationship and communication gaps between government and business holders Well established market committee is not there, that ’ s why outside business holders are easily entering into the market. Lack of marketing skills due to this reason they are easily bluffing with the others

15. Role of Mahendragiri Cooperative Society in “ Santha ” Mahendragiri cooperative society is facilitating to the SHGs through the support of CCD organization Providing financial, social, health and legal support to the women of Saora Financial support: Cooperative acting like a bank for Saora women. It is providing loan to the women at low cost of interest for establishing the businesses as well as every month the women are saving their amount in the cooperative. Social: conducting awareness programs regarding the gender sensitization Livelihood: conducting training programs on skill development and capacity building to the Saora women Women rights: conducting awareness campaigns regarding the rights and issues of women Health: facilitating immunization campaigns and also focused on women and child health especially prenatal and post natal care. Staff of Mahendragiri Cooperative society in “ Satha ”

16. Conclusion In past the women of Saora are not able to move freely in their communities because of discrimination. Always they have a second preference in the family as well as in community but after formation of SHGs they got little bit of time to spare for think about themselves. Because of SHG, women are participating in “ Palli Sabha ” , attending awareness, skill development and gender sensitization programs etc. present they are well aware about their rights and have a capacity to take decisions for village development.

17. THANK YOU Centre for Community Development Gajapati District, Orissa By R. VIJAY BHASKAR REDDY