Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards 2011 were conferred on two women from Odisha for exceptional show of rural micro entrepreneurship. While Charulata Swain,40, was awarded the prestigious ‘National winner’, T Padmini Jena won the ‘Regional Winner – East Region’ title.Hailing from Ragdi Pada village, about 100 kilometers from Bhubaneswar, Charulata explored the Dhokra art as a means to a sustainable life for her family. The main reason for getting into Dhokra art was to reduce the family’s dependency on agriculture. But gradually, as the market for the Dhokra products increased, she started reaping huge benefits. Charulata started organising tribal craftsmen and then supplied the products through existing marketing links. Charulata has already garnered a massive profit of Rs 4,50,000 for the year 2010-11. Charulata was elated at receiving the award explaining that the award will help promote the art.“Winning this award is a big achievement for me and my family. “The Dhokra art has been dying out because the tribals could not sell their produce. Today there are 25 families who have re-started Dhokra casting with me and designing sarees. With Citi Foundation’s help and support, I am confident of scaling my business to the next level. With mentorship and guidance, I shall also continue to be of service to the society and provide livelihood to more people like me,” said Charulata.Another chapter in the same story is of Padmini who is from Khurda district. After recognising the popularity of tribal designs in garments and sarees, she decided to hone the Pattachitra art further. Pattachitra is detailed art form that uses natural colour to depict religious forms. These days even modern day motifs find place in patta art. After delving into this art form, she slowly started a business out of it. Not only was there an increasing demand for her work, she also has started employing people full time and outsourcing her work to other women in her community. She is reaping a profit of Rs 1,00,000 for the year 2010-11.“I have struggled a lot and have now been able to find my feet and make a future for myself. I have trained 40 local students and dream to set up a training institute so that other girls learn the art forms to carry them on to the next generation,” explained Padmini.Celebrating its eighth year, the Citi Micro Entrepreneur awards (CMEA) programme, launched in India in 2004, has grown to become a global initiative that acknowledges entrepreneurial skills and exemplifies the spirit of micro entrepreneurs who have overcome economic and social challenges to successfully build self-sustaining micro enterprises. It is also the first initiative to recognize the growing number of enterprises owned collectively by local communities in India.
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