The Extraordinary Journey of a Group of Women Who Transformed Their Lives Through Empowerment

In 2019, just on the brink of global disruption caused by Covid-19, Minati Sabat, a homemaker hailing from Bhubaneswar embarked on a journey to pursue something greater in life. With a vision to uplift her community, she spearheaded the formation of the Om Sai Ram self-help group (SHG), bringing together 13 women from her neighborhood. From Tailoring to Transformation Initially guided by the Odisha government's Mission Shakti, the group established a tailoring unit, but their aspirations soon outgrew conventional boundaries. Recognized for their potential, they were among the nine SHGs chosen to form an area level federation (ALF) known as the Swayam Sradha Mahila Mahasangha. A Culinary Venture with a Purpose Fast forward to January 12, 2023, amidst the fervor of the Men’s Hockey World Cup, Minati and her colleagues achieved a significant milestone by launching a Millet Shakti outlet at the prestigious Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. This joint venture between Mission Shakti and the Mission Millet initiatives offers a diverse range of millets-based cooked and dry items, catering to an average of 200 customers daily. Empowering Entrepreneurship, Ensuring Sustainability With a monthly turnover of Rs 5-6 lakh, the outlet has become a symbol of success, generating a profit of Rs 3 lakh monthly, distributed among the 16 members. As their enterprise flourishes, the state is now in the process of establishing a larger Millet Mission Café above the unit, expanding opportunities for Minati and her team. A Vision of Inclusivity and Progress Minati's ALF received invaluable training in capacity-building from the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Bhubaneswar and culinary expertise from the Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN). Their products even garnered attention at the recent G20 summit in New Delhi, showcasing the transformative impact of grassroots initiatives. Cultivating Change Through Millets The Mission Millet initiative, encompassing 1,993 groups at various levels, has revolutionized the agricultural landscape in Odisha, with ragi procurement skyrocketing from 17,000 quintals to 604,000 quintals between 2018-19 and 2022-23. Recognized nationally, Odisha was awarded for its exemplary efforts in millets promotion and scaling up the millets mission. A Journey of Empowerment and Independence For Minati Sabat, the journey from homemaker to entrepreneur has been one of resilience, determination, and empowerment. Through her relentless pursuit of independence, she not only transformed her own life but also contributed to the education of her son, Rudra Pratap, who now thrives as a mechanical engineering graduate employed in Mumbai.