The Simple Entrepreneur

India a Beautiful, Secular Republic has many cultures and traditions. It is known for its heritage and diversity. Among them is the significant presence of communities that have their own speciality and culture that makes India a Unity in diversity. Here we will know about a tribal community who are making hay while the sun is shining, I mean literally at that This Story has picked up the threads from the real life of tribals and tried blending it into a narrative or story to be more comprehensible.     ....    Gomanga, Gomanga called her neighbour Sakhi early in the morning. It was an everyday affair when these ladies had to go deep into the forest barefooted to collect dry grass or hay for the purpose of cooking and also feeding the cattle. Their livelihood was very simple and earnings were definitely meagre. It was very difficult to make the ends meet. Men of the family did some mean jobs that were not at all significant. They had to approach middlemen to get these jobs that were mostly not regularly available. Money was always within the limit. The requirements were minimum too, but still, the earnings were not at all enough. The area they lived in was hilly and the cultivation of crops was difficult with the supply of water being in shortage. Water storage too was a problem. For everything, money is needed, Right?    As the time ahead became tougher Gomanga and her family along with the other tribal families of the region were in desperation, looking for any other option to earn money. They chanced upon hill grass that was available in plenty. The grass was dry but it absorbed a little bit of water. So, they got an idea that this grass could be converted into a broom, yes, you got it right the broomstick which is the most common item of any household irrespective of the class and clan. This humble broom was going to change the fortune they felt. Yes, they were right.

Once they started collecting the hill grass and made brooms out of it they started earning money. Their happiness knew no bounds. The 30-odd families living in the tribal belt around Chattisgarh were elated and felt their problems were over.         But, things were to change for better prospects. Gomanga's husband bhadhi noticed that the contractor of the hilly area was purchasing the hill grass from these ladies for a meagre amount of 15 rupees in one big bunch and selling brooms made out of this grass for 30 rupees in the neighbouring towns. He was making good money at their behest. The ladies were working hard to collect the hill grass and what they got in return was very less. This was an injustice. Gomanga tried talking it out with the contractor who would listen to these pleas. What Gomanga did was very adventurous.         ..       She formed a group of like minded tribals of her area and started making brooms all by themselves. She motivated her fellow workers to work as hard as possible. She advised them that instead of working for someone who was anyway cheating them of their worth, why not work and earn by ourself. She showed them dreams that could come true. She divided them into groups where each group would be doing different work that collectively would give the end product One group would collect the hill grass,the other group would clean it, another group would separate each strand and finally, the last group would tie them together to make a broom She included men to do the marketing of these brooms in the neighbouring towns. The money earned was collected and kept in a treasure box that belonged to the tribal head. He was the treasurer. Within no time the brooms started selling in good numbers fetching good profits and thereby making good money by each one of the remote tribal village. They started leading a much better life, no more starving and no more bickering for daily needs.       

Within no time this work received a lot of attention. Many television channels covered this venture thereby making the simple broom that was being talked in boom. The local Government too provided aid to expand the business as part of uplifting the tribals. Gomanga and her team are still in shock as to how a simple broom has changed their fate completely.        

What these innocent simple people do not know is unknowingly their work is so perfect that it is no less than any corporate office. They may not wear corporate suits and carry briefcases with files, nor do they converse in a foreign language (which is not wrong either)but still they are on par with anyone. They have made their fate by sweeping the floor.