• Decades of exploitation by the local money lenders and landlords
• The shops with the basic supplies for agriculture are at least 30 miles away
• The lack of expert knowledge in the modern techniques of agriculture
• Complete dependence on the monsoons.
• Growing and harvesting rice is the only source of income and sustenance. This option exists only for four months out of the year.
Areas for Opportunities:
• Providing the tribal villagers with a store that treats them with respect and is completely honest and transparent in its transactions.
• Stocking up on agricultural solutions that are relevant and cost-effective
• Giving them the option of using our in-store experts to plan against the changes in the weather, and also learn to use our modern tools for better yields.
• Providing alternate solutions for the lack of rainfall, like water harvesting and motor pumps.
• Ensuring that they have access to year round employment through our other ventures.
There are other factors that we are cognizant of that are very important in ensuring our success. Some of these have to do with cultural sensitivity; centuries of exploitation and abuse of these tribal villagers have resulted in deep-rooted suspicion of outsiders, and rightly so. Therefore, we have consulted with social welfare organizations who already work there to come up with a set of ethical, moral and social guidelines that will act as a framework within which we will work.
We are building in our field of dreams, a store that can fulfill dreams, meet needs and act as an outpost that brings the world to their doorsteps and them to us, for we know that “if you build it, they will come”.
Here are a few pictures of the store under construction:
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