Monday, November 29, 2010

Entrepreneurship anyone?

The word entrepreneurship frightens even the best brains in B-schools -they find secure corporate jobs better than to take the entrepreneurship gamble. What makes this story truly remarkable is the fact that this lady took to entrepreneurship with little or no basic knowledge but with a lot of confidence.

Meet Kala, the ward councillor of the SC ward in Mullaikulathur and an entrepreneur who runs the only shop in that part of the village.Kala received some money from Hand-in-Hand, an NGO providing microfinance and used that to set up her petty shop. 

She sells essential items and sweet-meats and makes a living out of it.Kala being a ward councellor also talk about the state of her ward.She points out to the state of the roads and rues at the lack of sanitation.During the rainy season the place floods and people can hardly commute.
Nearly around 50-75 families reside in the SC colony. Kala also points out the need for a doctor. The men work as coolie workers and daily labourers who do not have any fixed income. If they need money then they go to work .Alcoholism also seems to be rampant with everyone spending most of their earnings on it.
Why has no one else taken the entrepreneurship route when finance is available? Kala says that people borrow money and spend it on their household expenses. There have been instances of a woman starting an idly shop and some have also bought cows from the money. Kala points out to Prema who runs an embroidery workshop in the colony and says that many women from the SC colony are employed there.
We call it a land of men, but clearly in Mullaikulathur, the women seem to be ruling the roost.

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