Koraput: In tune with the International Women’s Day theme for 2022 #BreakTheBias, members of a Women’s Self Help Group (WSHG) of remote Hundibhata village in Kenduguda panchayat under Baipariguda block in Koraput district have proved that women can become self-reliant and add to their family’s income.
The women have scripted a story of being successful mushroom growers and are earning around a lakh of rupees a month.
Initially, a group of 11 women of Hundibhata village had formed a WSHG. Subsequently, 30 members of the WSHG in 2017 were provided with training in mushroom cultivation under the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM).
After obtaining a loan of Rs 2 lakh from OLM, the WSHG members have procured various equipment and have set up a mushroom production centre.
These women after completing their household chores work for around 4-5 hours at the mushroom production centre.
In the morning the WSHG members chop hay mix it with mushroom seeds and prepare beds for growing mushrooms.
They water the beds in the morning and evening as per requirement. Each day they harvest mushrooms and sell those in the nearby markets and haats.
While they are able to harvest 30-40 kg of mushrooms each day, on average they are able to earn around Rs one lakh a month.
This is how the women have become economically self-reliant by breaking the bias and are adding to the incomes of their families.
These women changemakers have become the talk of the town and the local BDO Abhimanyu Kabi Satpathy has said that efforts will be made to make WSHGs in all panchayats under the block self-reliant.
