Debolina Ghosh and Nivedita Basu are two Kolkata based food-preneurs who were determined to change their designation from a housewife to an entrepreneur.
The two friends are proud owners of a food stall which is a franchise of ‘Ekushe Annapurna’ (the government scheme to provide low-cost meals) in the five-point crossing in Shyambazar, north Kolkata. The stall providing Rs 21 meal comprising rice, daal, curry, and fish is run by an all-women team.
Owner Nivedita Basu told Indian Express, “We were housewives. The only job we did was to take care of our house and children. We always wanted to do something on our own. Joining a job and spending 10 hours outside our home was difficult for us because we can’t ignore our family. So when our husbands suggested us to buy a franchise of Benfish, which is already famous in Kolkata, we jumped in. We get a lot of customers who buy the full Rs 21 meal, but by selling the ‘Ekushe Annapurna’ meal, we don’t earn a profit. But we sell food such as fish fry, batter fish fry, and other fried items and make money.”
The other owner Debolina said, “My husband’s sister lost her husband, she is alone. It was important for her to keep herself busy apart from earning money. Now, she comes to our stall and we run it together. If it gets bigger, maybe we will open a restaurant with only female staff top to bottom.”
The stall is now a workplace for the 27-year-old Jui Dey who after a rough marriage lives alone with her seven-year-old son. She is loving the new independence and shared her experience saying, “I feel so happy here, it’s not like a job for me. When there are less customers in the noon, we talk and gossip together. No one can understand a woman better than another woman. We also work in shifts. We enjoy sisterly bonds and also end up earning money. I believe there is nothing more important for a girl than being self-dependent. When you are financially stable, you take decisions on your own and live life on your own terms.”
H/T: Indian Express