By Our Staff Reporter
Shillong:
“Women should not be confined to the four walls of the kitchen but should work hard to be a provider with their income,” says 34-year-old entrepreneur from Mairang, Rose M. Kharsyntiew.
She started entrepreneurship when she was introduced to Common Service Center (CSC) in June 2015.
Kharsyntiew was at the Haat Bazaar organised by the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS) recently selling light bulbs and sanitary pads that are produced under the CSC project.
“A woman starts searching for a job only after her husband, who is the bread earner, dies. Women should not be like that,” she told The Meghalayan.
She started off as someone who collected electricity bills from people and helped them in paying their bills and was a teacher who was paid a meagre salary of Rs 2000 per month.
“So I entered the CSC though it is for those who have passed Class 12, but I chose it anyway though I am a graduate. So I registered myself, went for training, sat for the examination which was both online and offline. The CSC also generates employment for other people and I am helping others too,” she said.
At her CSC, called Rose CSC Mairang, all kinds of online services are available and she is making sure to help people with their certificates, bank transfer etc.
Kharsyntiew was awarded the State CM award and won the best Village Level Entrepreneurship (VLE) from West Khasi Hills.
As she spoke, she would also tell customers who visited her stall to take her number and give their feedback on the sanitary pad.
On period cramps and sanitary pads, she said, “It is not something that people should be shy of. There are some people who criticise saying why give away such ‘things’ (pads).”
“There are two persons who I have employed to make the sanitary pads. They are educated and many more are joining,” she said.
It was not an easy journey for her when she started the CSC. Kharsyntiew said that she battled criticism but went ahead, especially with the sanitary pad production.
She said, “Initially, when I started the CSC, people thought that I was watching TV or a movie whenever I was working on the computer.”
Speaking about internet connectivity which is a must for a CSC, she said that there is Wi-Fi connectivity.
“My husband is my strong supporter and so are my parents,” she says.
She took the risk and started her business and bought necessary materials for the CSC. As for the struggles of being an entrepreneur, she said that funds are a huge problem.
Asked about her next plans, she said that she wants to open a CSC academy for drop-outs and the registration will be Rs 500.
As for her earnings, she said that it all depends on the number of customers although her earnings have never been below Rs 3000 a day.
“There are days when we would earn ten thousand. Again, everything is at the mercy of the electricity. There are no holidays for us and when the lights go out, it is a huge break, it feels like a holiday!” she says laughing.
With the project of digitisation, Kharsyntiew also threw light on the digital village where CSC authorities from Delhi chose Mawnai, under Mairang district to be the digital village.
“We have been holding meetings and creating awareness on digitisation in the village. It is not easy but we are moving forward,” she said.