The Ma Ki Roti project is conceptualized by Ma Foundation. The underlining principle is that nobody goes to bed on an empty stomach. The strategy followed is : a needy Self — Help Group (SHG) earns an income by cooking and serving subsidized lunches to 50 poor residents daily. The value of each lunch which must consists of a bowl of rice, dhal, vegetable and 3 chapattis, is Rs 20/-. The diner is to pay Rs 10/- while the balance amount of Rs 10/- comes from the grant sourced by Ma Foundation.
The fourth Ma Ki Roti project implemented by Kherwadi Social Welfare Association (KSWA) in collaboration with Ma Foundation was inaugurated on July 9 in Koutala town, aspirational district Komaram Bheem (Asifabad ), Telangana state by Circle Inspector Buddh Swami and Sub — Inspector K. Manohar, Koutala Police Station.
The IRDP team ( KSWA) led by Vilas Kamble; and supported by Prashant Mandawar, Sanjay Gaddam and Rakesh Rapartiwar ( all 3 — Marathi and Telagu speaking) met with a number of women Self — Help Groups before zeroing on 10 — member Sitarmulu Bachat Gat.
Post meetings, review of SHG documents, profile of women, site selection, this needy SHG, Sitarmulu Bachat Gat willing to work in the Food space was selected and provided with basic skilling under The Sector Skill Council — Food Processing. A site was jointly identified, local authority permissions obtained before connecting the SHG to Ma Foundation for a grant sourced by Ma Foundation. The grant from Hemendra Kothari Foundation covers the cost of groceries, vegetables, fuel, transportation, SHGs labour and basic amenities, in Koutala.
In rice — eating Koutala, the 3 chapattis are replaced by an additional bowl of rice.
On day 1, 20 local labourers lunched at The Ma Ki Roti project, Koutala.
Based on the experience of implementing 3 Ma Ki Roti projects in Gadchiroli district, each SHG earns Rs 18,000/- per month as labour. To summarise, each SHG woman works in rotation for an assured 9 days a month, each day for 6 hours doing non — heavy, non — manual work to earn Rs 1,800/-. In addition, she gets a free lunch on those 9 days.
SHG members comment that they feel liberated implementing this livelihood activity as it
· Is assured income for 9 days a month
· Is non — manual labour,
· Cooking is something natural and enjoyable to them,
· Assures them of a clean and nutritious meal on 9 days a month,
· Allows them flexibility in choosing dates to cook and serve as well as take up other livelihood opportunities, and finally
· Gives them immense satisfaction serving the poor.
The IRDP team is ready to expand the project in other towns in Telangana state, and also introduce the project in Chattisgarh, Gujarat and Odisha states.
