Nathdwara,48 kms away from Udaipur, is famous for its Lord Krishna temple. Thousands of pilgrims visit the temple ever year. Mohini Devi, a resident of Gangapur village in Begun block of Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, makes garlands and other decorative items used as offerings by pilgrims visitng the temple. She supplies these items to the Nathdwara market. 

                                                                              Mohini with CRP-EP Ratna

Mohini had lost her husband four years ago and lived with her three kids. After the death of her husband it became really difficult for her to make ends meet. It was then that her sister in law, living in Nathdwara, introduced her to garland making. Mohini got a livelihood opportunity but the work demanded a lot of her time. She was unable to get enough income even after working for hours. The money was not sufficient to meet the household needs and the expenses of her three kids. Mohini’s dying business required some serious change in strategy.

                                                                                    Garlands made by Mohini

It is at this point that she came to learn about the SVEP project in one of SHG meetings. Ratna, the CRP-EP under SVEP project, helped Mohini to turn around her business. Not only did she help her get a loan of Rs.45000 but also provided her with some valuable guidance. Mohini was worried that hiring other women might create competitors. Ratna knew that more competitors in a limited market size will erode the margins for Mohini. She addressed the problem in a practical manner and advised Mohini to get different parts prepared from the helpers and do the final assembling and packaging herself. This helped Mohini Devi in meeting the excess demand without creating competitors at local level. The strategy not only increased the revenue by 75% but also helped four other women in getting employment. Today, Mohini is able to earn Rs.20000 per month. And during peak seasons she even gets Rs.30000 in a month.

SVEP project has helped a lot of women, like Mohini, not only in addressing the financial need of their business but also trained community professionals in providing handholding support and devising strategies that are helpful in increasing the entrepreneur's income substantially.