KAMALA – A HELPING HAND IN THE TIMES OF COVID 19
May 7, 2020
A unique place to buy farm fresh vegetables & snacks and eat traditional food in Ahmedabad. Kamala is an appealing low-rise structure in an open plot of land which from 2015 has worked on providing livelihood to women through activities like food processing and production. It is a food production cum training Centre and doubles as a café-like place to enjoy traditional food. Kamala is handling employment security of 5000 women from Ahmedabad and 9 districts of Gujarat. The food processors are involved in 5 categories which are regular food courses, hot snacks,dry snacks, papad making and Bakery products with nutritious value.
Team Kamala has taken many initiatives for farmers whose income is impacted by COVID 19 and the resultant lock down. They are providing alternative marketing through the center for small farmers who produce and supply to the center vegetables, which received a good response from the Customers. The women at Kamala training centre are preparing snacks and selling it to the nearby House Holds on a day today basis to sustain their income.
Transportation arrangements have been taken care of as the vegetables are directly procured from the farmers and sold at Kamala. All the women are working with hygiene by wearing uniform, with masks, caps apron and gloves.
The farmers are getting fair income as eliminate middle man who gave very low price to them and are enthusiastic to grow more and more vegetables with confidence that they will be sold by Kamala, More than 1200 farmers from Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Aravalli districts of Gujarat have been benefitted by this noble initiative.
Kamala is also committed to helping self-employed women who make dry snacks and bakery items, with a focus on nutrition and hygiene. These women have been encouraged to prepare varieties of snacks like Farsi Puri, Masala Puri, Shakkarpara, Sev Mamra etc and bakery items like biscuits, toast, khari, various types of breads etc. Kamala also offers home delivery services for its customers.
The items prepared by these women are being sold to Kamala’s regular customers. In total 1500 women are preparing these products at home and are earning their income from sales at Kamala.
To further contribute in serving the society to fight against Corona pandemic, SEWA and Kamala has given an opportunity to 2000 women farmers and food processors to work in their Garment and Stitching department to stitch masks for sales and distribution. These women are stitching masks in huge numbers at home and selling them. In this way, two purposes are being covered, people are getting masks and women are earning much-needed revenue.
The main aim of Kamala is help the farmers and food processors sustain their markets and livelihood. These activities will be continued even after lock down.
Food Entrepreneurs can benefit in getting fresh vegetables, snacks and bakery products for their kitchens, and masks for their workplaces, and at the same time the self-employed women earn revenue to keep their home fires burning.
Kamala, Opp CEE Nehru Foundation, Next to Ramapir Mandir, Lane Opp Gurudwara, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad
Mob : 9898089729
Trail Leader
Anil Mulchandani is an independent writer from 1992. His articles have been published in more than 50 publications, including most of India's leading newspapers, magazines, inflight publications, newsletters and journals. Largely known for his travelogues and food articles, he has also covered diverse subjects like the arts, handicraft,enviromental and social issues, social development initiatives, industry, innovative entrepreneurs, architecture and interiors, sports, among others, Anil is the author of many internationally-published travel books, including guides to Kerala and Southern India, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and other states. He has also written coffee table books and commemorative volumes for industry associations and government organisations. He is also a food critic and author of food guides. He has lectured on heritage, eco-tourism and culture at many seminars. conferences, workshops and symposiums. He is also a tourism or food committee member of many associations and industry organisations. On 12th July 2017 Anil Mulchandani launched the social media group called FEA - Food Entrepreneurs Alliance that connects more than 1500 people in the food and hospitality industry to each other for common causes. He has started the Innovative Food Entrepreneurs Associates, a social enterprise with Dilip Thakker, Rohit Khanna and Darshan Rawal who are co-admins of FEA. He was awarded Best Travel Writer by Madhya Pradesh Tourism. Gujarat's 50 Golden Destinations, a coffee table book authored by Anil Mulchandani for Gujarat Tourism, won the national tourism award.
