Kerala To Build Largest Social Entrepreneurship Network For Women

Men and Women should be treated equally. We all have this theoretical learning in life but when it comes to applying the theory to practice many of just simply fail. Entrepreneurs always have it tough but when you’re a woman entrepreneur, your life becomes ten times more difficult. In order to make women entrepreneurs’ life easy and encourage more and more women to take the entrepreneurship path, the Kerala Government has decided to set up India’s largest social entrepreneurship network of women.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is scheduled to launch the programme ‘Sandesh One’ on Monday, 12th January in Kerala. The programme will be a network of thousand plus women and try to generate mass employment at grassroots level by promoting various micro enterprises. The programme has been initiated by Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC) under the state’s Social Justice Department.

According to KSWDC’s Managing Director PTM Sunish, “World is witnessing a social enterprise movement. Unlike conventional industries, social enterprise is about developing solutions against pressing societal challenges. The Sandesh programme is designed to achieve this target.” The statement was given to PTI.

Under the programme, some 1000 plus women entrepreneurs from village panchayats will be selected and given a six month long residential training under the aegis of IL&FS Company and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. IL&FS is a major skill development company in India.

After the completion of their training in entrepreneurial skills and knowledge management, these entrepreneurs will be encouraged to open ‘Sandesh One Centres’ in all panchayats of the state. The entrepreneurs will showcase projects in areas such as water management, high-tech agriculture, waste management, safety solutions etc. in each of the Sandesh One Centres. All these micro enterprise projects and high-end solutions will help the entrepreneurs in positively influencing the society and improving the quality of lives.

The centre will also work towards providing technology solutions to the concerned entrepreneurs and even help them kick start enterprises in respective areas. They will act as a catalyst of socio-economic development in the country.  The Sandesh centres will also try to help the unemployed youth of their locality to come up with attractive micro enterprises.

According to Sunish, “ Sandesh entrepreneurs, who hold the right for all these solutions, can make money as professional consultants for setting up micro-enterprises and by selling products and solutions.”

The selected entrepreneurs under the programme will also go through a product orientation programme apart from the residential training. The product orientation programme will work towards making the entrepreneurs aware about the products and services offered by the Sandesh network.

According to Sunish, the project demands zero investment from the government. “The state government and KSWDC will play the role of just facilitators. The KSWDC will arrange loans for their training and setting up centres. We will also provide them promotional support and tie up with other stakeholders in the government.”

Kerala has always been a forerunner in encouraging women empowerment initiatives.  The state has launched initiatives such as She-Taxi and Kudumbashree, a community based poverty reduction programme in the past.

 
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