Women Empowerment: How daily wage women became successful entrepreneurs? Has herbal business opened the way for earning crores of rupees? How did you get an order worth lakhs from AYUSH department? Haribol Group of Dongnala has now become an inspiration for the entire country.
Raipur. The impact of Chhattisgarh government’s ambitious Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) scheme is now clearly visible in rural and tribal areas. Tribal women of Dongnala under Katghora forest division of Korba district have written a new story of self-reliance through this scheme. Haribol Self Help Group of Dongnala has today become a successful example of women empowerment through herbal product manufacturing.
Tribal women moved from daily wage labor to successful herbal entrepreneurship
As per the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai and the intention of Forest Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap, Haribol Self-Help Group was formed consisting of 12 tribal women. The members of the group were earlier dependent on daily wage labor and due to limited income, it was difficult to run the family. But after joining Van Dhan Vikas Kendra Yojana, there was a big change in his life.
Received special training for manufacturing herbal products
Women were organized considering the possibilities of medicinal plants and minor forest produce available in the local areas. They were given special training in herbal processing, quality control, packaging, branding and marketing by Ayurveda experts and Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce (Trade & Development) Cooperative Union Limited. This training gave women a new identity and employment opportunity.
From Triphala powder to herbal face pack, demand increased in the market
After the training the group started preparing many herbal products like Triphala Churna, Ashwagandha Churna, Herbal Face Pack, Herbal Hair Powder and Tooth Powder. Due to better quality and effective products, their demand increased rapidly in the local markets as well as at the institutional level.
Big order received from AYUSH department, group got profit of lakhs
Haribol Self Help Group got a big success when they received a big order from the AYUSH Department. The group made a profit of approximately Rs 20 lakh from this order. After this the group’s recognition and credibility increased significantly and access to new markets became easier.
Financial situation strengthened with income of Rs 38.90 lakh
In the financial year 2024-25, the group earned profit and commission of about Rs 38.90 lakh. This strengthened the economic condition of the women of the group and their families. Now women are becoming self-reliant and are also playing an active role in important decisions of the family.
New identity created with cumulative sales of Rs 26.11 crore
VDVK Donganala has recorded cumulative sales of approximately Rs 26.11 crore from the year 2020 to March 2026. This achievement is considered to be the result of the group’s continuous hard work, quality production and better marketing strategy.
Annual income of each member reached Rs 1.7 lakh
After joining this scheme, the annual income of each female member of the group has reached approximately Rs 1.7 lakh. With economic strength, women’s self-confidence, leadership ability and decision-making power have also increased.
Received honor from TRIFED and Chhattisgarh government
Haribol Self Help Group has also been honored by TRIFED and Chhattisgarh Government for its excellent work in the field of herbal processing and women empowerment.
Inspiration for other self-help groups
Haribol Self Help Group of Dongnala has today become an example of the fact that if they get the right benefits of government schemes, skill development and market availability, then tribal women can also become self-reliant. This success is now becoming a source of inspiration for other self-help groups in the state and the country.