A local maker of sweets recently sent a parcel containing holige to Father Praveen Martis, Principal of St. Aloysius College. The reason: the college had created a WhatsApp group called ‘Aloysius Jalasanthe’ which helped the Puttur resident connect with his customers.
“I shared the holige with our staff members. I am happy with the positive result of our initiative that has helped several entrepreneurs reach their customers especially during these times,” Fr. Martis told The Hindu .
The college has been running the entrepreneurship and consultancy cell for the last six years. “We wanted to move forward and help entrepreneurs in rural areas that have been greatly hit by the restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic. We also wanted create an avenue for small-time entrepreneurs to sell products they make at their houses,” Fr. Martis said.
A discussion among members of the cell and other faculty members, he said, led to the creation of the group.
Two groups now
The group was formed in July and it comprises faculty members, students, parents, farmers, and small-time home-product makers.
With more members joining the group, another ‘Jalasanthe’ WhatsApp group was formed and now group has 250 members.
Farmers and home-product makers post images of their goods and the people place their demand.
“There is a direct contact with the buyer and the seller,” Fr. Martis said. Apart from Mangaluru, the sellers are from Puttur, Belthangady, and Kasaragod.
Some of the products that are being sold include milk, ghee, honey, vegetables, grains and sweets. There are also people selling face masks, woodcraft products, and lamps made from cow dung.
Dean of the cell, Mamatha, also said they are thinking of creating a website comprising buyers and sellers. The cell also proposes to start an incubation centre for budding entrepreneurs.
