Shrinidhi Prerna Mahila Producer Company Limited

Shila Devi started this women's group over in Tikari. It is the Shrinidhi Prerna Mahila Producer Company. We are mostly women from the local village who just wanted to do something productive together. We usually meet up at Shila Devi’s house to discuss our plans. Prayagraj is fairly close by, but we are very much rooted in the village life of Tikari. Farming is what we have always known, but managing the business side of things is still pretty new to most of us. We have had to learn how to keep the books and deal with all the official government people. It is not always easy when you have kids to look after and houses to run at the same time. We sit together and plan out exactly what we are going to plant each season. Sometimes we just sit and drink tea and talk about what is happening in our lives. It has become a support system for us as much as a business. We don’t have a big factory or any expensive machinery. It is just us and our small plots of land. We try to get better quality seeds and maybe save up for better tools if we have a good year. The "Mahila" part of our name is important because it shows people that we can handle this ourselves. Shila is very determined and she doesn't let any of us give up when things get difficult. We deal with the same pests and dry spells as everyone else, just together.