By the SHGs for the people, Mathi’s popularity grows in city
To give them a much-needed boost, and also improve their economies of scale, the initiative to market their products was taken by Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
CHENNAI: The Mathi experience store and Mathi café, first of its kind in the city, at the Mother Theresa Women’s Complex in Nungambakkam, is truly an experience to behold.
Formed and run by women in Self Help Groups (SHGs), it sells food products, handicrafts, herbal, household, textile and handloom products, and also food items – all made by SHG members.
The café sells beverages, puffs and pastries that cost between Rs 20 and Rs 80. Though SHGs are very active across the State, one of the biggest challenges they face is marketing their wares. To give them a much-needed boost, and also improve their economies of scale, the initiative to market their products was taken by Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
Mathi in the city is the first phase of that initiative. “Exhibitions were conducted to sell these products but there was no permanent venue to display the SHG products permanently. This building is a popular landmark in the city. So we decided to get products from SHG women across the State and sell it here. This gives them an opportunity to understand market value of their products, and also helps them earn a profit without relying on middle-men,” explained S Divyadharshini, managing director, Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women.
Most if the products available at the store is now available online as well. On November 18, mathisandhai.com was launched by the minister. “Since Chennai is the capital city, the first store was started here for more publicity. There are plans to open stores in each district, and efforts towards that will be started soon,” she pointed out.
The store has been set up through the State Supply and Marketing Society, which procures products from the SHGs. This initiative enables SHGs to become financially independent.
“We were trained for 20 days after that the café was opened. This has helped us a lot financially to support our family,” says S Vanaroja, a SHG member working in the café.
Since workers have different shift timings, it also helps them balance work and family. “We’re also trained to make dishes in the café, and given a café to manage. It’s a huge confidence-booster for us,” says B Kanchanamala, another worker in the café.