SST Partners With TRIFED, District Administration To Empower Tribal Women Via VDVK Project

Srinivasan Services Trust (SST), the social arm of TVS Motor Company and Sundaram-Clayton, has partnered with TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India) and District Administration to launch the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) project. The initiative is aimed at empowering tribal women by training and collectivising them into production clusters for the procurement, processing, and sale of value-added local products.

The project has identified 300 women from the Peenjamandai area for the initiative, and SST has exposed them to various business opportunities, including the marketing of Saamai (little millet) and Tamarind. As part of this initiative, 22 tribal women from Thandayankottai village have established a tamarind procurement and processing unit. The inauguration event was attended by several officials, including the District Adi Dravidar & Tribal Welfare Officer, Project Director of Mahalir Thittam, District Chairman, Thasildars - Anaicut and Vellore, SST Field Director, and over 100 people from the Peenjamandai Panchayat.

The VDVK project aims to create a more refined product and target a wider retail market for the produce of these women. They operate from the Village Forest Committee Building, which was renovated by SST at a cost of Rupees 3.3 Lakhs to provide a safe and comfortable working environment for the women. The project is a significant step towards empowering women from tribal regions and promoting economic development.

Empowering women in villages is crucial for the overall development of the region, and this project is a shining example of how collaboration and innovation can make a real difference. SST works in more than 500 tribal villages in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and this project is expected to create new opportunities for the women involved in it.