No. of Bank Managers Trained 19370

Taste of Success

Shri Saraswathi SHG, Chintamani taluk

From being nervous newbies to becoming confident entrepreneurs well versed in the functioning of a cafe, members of the Shri Saraswathi self help group have big smiles that light up the place.

“Idli, dose, lemon rice, curd rice, tomato rice, sambar vada” Lalitha R, co-president of Shri Saraswathi SHG, rattles off a tempting menu, “You can find us near the petrol pump in Chinnasandra. We serve authentic south Indian dishes.”

Sanjeevini Interventions:

The SHG members received training in hotel management, kitchen management, hygiene management and inventory management.

CIF funds : Rs.75,000 Low interest bank loan : Rs.2 lakh Average monthly sales in 2020 : Rs.30,000 – Rs.35,000

Shri Saraswathi SHG in Chinnasandra Village, Chintamani taluk, Chikkaballapur district consists of 14 members who run a cafe in Chinnasandra.

The small cafe that they have started is a matter of great pride for members of the Shri Saraswathi self help group. Lalitha and Nagamma, the co-presidents manage the restaurant, with other SHG members. Sanjeevini had initiated a pilot programme in Chikkaballapur to help women in starting cafes along the same lines as Kudumbashree (Kerala NRLM). With no other fixed source of income, the women of Saraswathi SHG came forward and thus laid the foundation of the ‘Sanjeevini Cafe’. With the requisite training and a CIF and savings of Rs.75,000 each, the SHG was established in November 2010. The origins were simple and the purpose was financial sustainability. The USP of the cafe is simple: home-made food taste and well-maintained. Seven of the 14 members are involved fulltime at the restaurant, the others help out on Sundays and holidays, as they have full-time jobs that keep them occupied during the week. As a part of the Sanjeevani Mission, the SHG had also availed a loan of Rs.2 lakh for the renovation of the restaurant. Situated in the prime area of Chinnasandra village, the restaurant enjoys a locational advantage. The ingredients are sourced from the local market once in a while and cater exactly to the taste of localites and travellers. The cafe clocks a daily income of Rs.2000-Rs.3000 and an annual income of about Rs.3 lakh. It also sells water cans that add an additional income of Rs.30,000 a year. How about the challenges? “We did face difficulties in the beginning when we had no idea about how a café is being run. But time is the best teacher. Everything is on track now. our only goal now is to improve our restaurant and make it even better. We are planning to grow the business further and increase the per capita income” says Lalitha.