How direct farming changed Lilavati and Manju's lives
This is unsecured employment and they have to move from farm to farm on a day-to-day basis. This also involves a great deal of drudgery - neither are the wages good, nor is there any certainty of get steady work. Their lives have dramatically changed with the opening of the FTCC at Pataudi. Lilavati and Manju were introduced to Bharti Walmart's direct farm Programme supported by TechnoServe.
They were also part of the basic extension training for women in June 2012. After the training, they applied for work at the FTCC for grading and sorting of fruits and vegetables.
Initially, they were a little apprehensive of the working hours at the FTCC which demanded four to six hours of their daily time. However, with time they realized that the working hours at the FTCC were fixed unlike the uncertain hours in their earlier daily work, said Mukesh Chandra Madhukar, general manager, direct farm programme at Bharti Walmart.
"Moreover, not only the work environment at the FTCC is to their liking, but also the work is more organized and professional. Their negotiation skills have improved, given that their job requires them to explain to the farmers the rationale for the rejected pieces of vegetables," he added.
They earn Rs 4,200 per month, which is at least 25 % more than what they were earning as daily wage earners. Apart from all this, they now get extra time after completing work at the FTCC.
"We are able to spend more time with our children as well as increase our income through our dairy activities with Vita dairy co-operative," said Manju.
The two sisters have invested in one more buffalo to increase their dairy income. Working at the FTCC has opened up more time and opportunities for them to provide more milk to the co-operative collection centre, increasing incomes in return. By joining the centre, life of these two sisters has changed for the better.
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