Irula bonded labourers turn entrepreneurs

CHENNAI: A few months ago, a group of 24 Irula community women came together to set up their own venture to manufacture sanitary napkins. The young entrepreneurs, who have made slow yet steady progress, are all set to make and supply napkins to women working in footwear-making units of popular brands in Cheyyar and Bargur.

The group of women, including 12 rescued bonded labourers, run the sanitary napkin manufacturing unit on the premises of the self-sufficient smart colony at Meesanallur in Tiruvannamalai district.

“I have no words to express my feelings to be part of this unit. It gives a sense of satisfaction as I am able to inspire the young and old women in my community to step out of their comfort zone and be part of such a venture,” said 24-year-old Priya, the coordinator of the team. The unit was established in September last year and recently made business to the tune of Rs 20,000 by selling belt-model napkins.

“Since many of the women in our community were not forthcoming to be part of the industry, I joined the unit with a one-month-old baby to motivate others,” said the young mother.

Presently, the unit manufactures around 1,000 pieces of different types of napkins, including herbal and belt napkins. The manufacturing capacity of the unit is 50,000 pieces per month.

She recalled her hurdle as a child under bondage in a brick kiln. She along with 20 others from four families was rescued in 2015 from a brick kiln in Vellore’s Kaniyambadi block. E Vasantha, 29, another member of the unit and mother of three, also shared a similar tale. For them, the unit that was established at Rs 18.5 lakh with financial assistance from the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing Development Corporation (Tahdco) is a window of opportunity to give wings to their children to have a better future.

“We will soon manufacture and supply napkins for workers of footwear industries,” said Priya, eager to explore the young unit’s manufacturing capacity.

“We are helping the young women entrepreneurs to register the unit under the TN Societies Act 1975. It will safeguard their interest and sustain their efforts,” Tahdco MD K Kandasamy told DT Next.

He said the department has appointed a person to enable the women entrepreneurs in getting GST numbers, PAN cards and other business-related works. “We will soon sign an MoU with footwear manufacturing units in Bargur and Cheyyar to supply 35,000 pieces of napkin per month to their workers. The firm is also satisfied with the quality of the napkins from the unit. Once it is done, the unit can generate a monthly revenue of Rs 3 lakh apart from wages and other expenditures,” he said adding they would further extend financial aid to expand the unit and support them to explore their potential in exporting their products.