Nestham, a non-governmental organisation, in association with Nabard, conducted a training programme on preparation of mango jelly for 120 members of women’s self-help groups at Sitharampuram, Kotha Edara, and Krishnavaram villages in Agiripalli mandal of Krishna district.
Under the Micro Entrepreneurship Development Programme (MEDP) of the Nabard, the NGO mobilised women of the four villages and provided them with the know-how through the on-the-job training session so that they could set up their own units the next season, Nestam director V. Suresh said.
Mr. Suresh said that the women were trained in the preparation of ‘mamidi tandra’ as they are entirely dependent on the mango crop for their livelihood.
The primary objective of the Nabard was to train locals to make different products from mango to enhance their income.
“Most of the mango jelly units are being run by non-locals, and the women who lacked knowledge and skill had to work in them as labourers for relatively low wages,” he said. This initiative was to make them first-generation entrepreneurs utilising the locally available raw material.