Agarbattis light up lives

A section of women living the below poverty-line in Vatal village in T Narasipur taluk of Mysore district are a happy lot today. For, they have raised themselves from near-starvation levels to being profit earners by taking to agarbatti manufacturing.

Poverty and illiteracy are the bane of the people of the small village. They have to eke out a livelihood from their daily wages, mostly seasonal, depending upon the agricultural prospects.

The lives of those belonging to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are more miserable. Let alone motivating for some trade, they had no one to depend upon for even two meals a day.

Seeing their pitiable plight, the women's self-help group and Chethana Resource Centre of Myrada institution in T Narasipur took up a scheme in association with the JSS Jan Shikshan Kendra, to motivate the poor women to undertake the manufacture of agarbattis.

Between October and November last, it offered training to all those who had volunteered. Forty-four women, including 22 belonging to the scheduled castes and 10 of the scheduled tribes, underwent a month-long training. The Sangha Mitra unit of Myrada offered them loans at one per cent interest to invest in the manufacture of agarbattis.

Thanks to the guidance, training and support these poor and illiterate women have become self-supporting. Their monthly turnover has reached Rs 1.5 lakh.

These women, who had availed a loan of Rs 60,000, have so far earned over Rs. 25,000 profit and emerged as model to others in the village and surrounding places.

Not just these women, other members of the family have also taken to rolling agarbattis. Their children are supporting them during their school holidays. From poverty and hunger, these women and their family are having two meals a day today.