Ekta Nursery, located at the Statue of Unity, is providing a platform for local tribal women to showcase their skills and earn a source of income. These women are playing a key role in manufacturing various beauty products made from Kesuda flowers, including soap, powder, and face wash, which are in high demand among tourists visiting the statue.
During the Kesuda season, four or five women from the Ekta Nursery Sakhi Mandal go to the forest to collect these beautiful flowers. After collecting the required quantity of kesuda, they shade dry it and store it in sacks. The state government forest department has provided various face wash, soap-making machines, and special training for production and shop management to these women to help them become self-sufficient.
Sumitra Tadvi, a housewife from Gora village, is one such woman who manages the soap shop at Ekta Nursery. She has been able to study only up to 10th standard but has a strong sense of shop management. The soap shop collects an average of five to six thousand counters per day on peak tourist days, and their products are so popular that many customers carry soap and facewash worth two thousand rupees together.
The Ekta Nursery cosmetics are completely safe, as no chemicals are used in their production. These natural and Ayurvedic products are available at 30 to 40 percent less price than other natural products available online or in the market, and are available all year round.
These women are an excellent example of the qualitative change in the lives of tribal women due to the Statue of Unity project. Through their hard work and skill, they are not only earning an income but also ensuring that their daughters receive a good education. With this income, Sumitraben has been able to support her daughter’s education in electrical engineering at Ganpat Vidyalaya.
In conclusion, the efforts of the forest department in providing training, equipment, and support to local tribal women are creating opportunities for them to become self-sufficient and contribute to their families and society.
