The enterprise originated with Kunwari Barwa leading a self-help group where members saved just Rs 2 to access essential farming credit. In 2022, the initiative transitioned into a farmer producer organisation chaired by Bhagwati Devi, growing rapidly from 381 to 1,501 members. Alongside providing regular employment to over 150 women, the group manufactures value-added goods like ragi laddoos and savoury snacks, marketing them both locally and at major exhibitions in cities such as Delhi and Hyderabad.
Key points
Local value addition through processed snacks like ragi laddoos and thekua drives the ent…: Local value addition through processed snacks like ragi laddoos and thekua drives the enterprise's commercial success.
Pooling modest savings into a structured organization enabled rural women to independentl…: Pooling modest savings into a structured organization enabled rural women to independently fund farming equipment and household education.
Participation in the collective has broadened social horizons, allowing rural members to…: Participation in the collective has broadened social horizons, allowing rural members to travel across India to market goods directly.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
A contribution of Rs 2 may seem too small to change a family's financial situation. But for Kunwari Barwa, a woman from Gumla district in Jharkhand, those small savings became the starting point of a much larger journey. What began with a self-help group (SHG) in her village gradually developed into a women-led agricultural enterprise built around ragi, also known as finger millet.
Today, the farmer producer organisation (FPO) associated with her work has grown from 381 members in 2022 to 1,501, according to the Press Information Bureau (PIB). Its activities include supporting ragi cultivation, collecting and storing the harvest, and preparing products such as ragi laddoos, thekua and savoury snacks. The collective reports monthly product sales of around Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh and provides regular employment to more than 150 women.
For Barwa, the journey has been about more than building a business. It has also meant learning to access credit, earning through agriculture and helping other women find opportunities beyond their homes.
How a Rs 2 saving habit became the beginning of a new livelihood
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