In the heart of Gujarat, India, in the quiet village of Kavitha, a revolution is unfolding — one led by women, rooted in the soil, and powered by solidarity.
At the center of this transformation stands the Kavitha Daal Mill, a processing unit run entirely by women farmers. It is a proud symbol of SEWA’s Kheti Zumbesh (Farming Campaign), built on a simple but powerful dream: turn every farm into an enterprise, and every woman farmer into an entrepreneur.
Housed in a modest 400-square-foot facility, the mill is run by a team of eight trained women. But this is more than a workplace — it is a platform of transformation. In 2022 alone, over 7,000 to 8,000 kg of mung, tuver, and channa were cleaned, processed, and packed here, entirely by women’s hands.
The mill received critical financial support through the APFP FO4A program— a USD 8,560 boost that helped scale operations and strengthen the women’s foundation for growth.
The Asia-Pacific Farmers’ Program (APFP) – Farmers’ Organizations for Asia (FO4A) is implemented by the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC), with funding from the European Union (EU) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The program aimed to strengthen the capacities of farmers’ organizations to provide economic services, advocate for enabling policies, and promote sustainable livelihoods for small-scale family farmers across Asia.
The journey wasn’t easy
Behind every sack of processed daal lies a story of perseverance. The women faced voltage issues, power delays, and technical problems that threatened to derail their progress before it even began.
As one of the mill’s operators recalled:
“These machines and the power supply — all of it took us three months. We fought through all the difficulties.”
Training was just as demanding as the technical hurdles. The team underwent three months of intensive, hands-on training in machinery handling, quality control, and mill operations — all with SEWA’s guidance.
“SEWA gave us all the training and support for handling big machines and running this mill,” shared another woman from the team.
A call to action, answered with courage
The mill’s story began not with machines, but with a conversation. Women from nearby villages were gathered for a meeting, where SEWA sisters posed a simple but life-changing question.
“SEWA sisters told us, ‘We know you have much work at home — so would you be able to run this daal mill? If your support is there, then only we can build this daal mill.’ We said yes — we will work in this daal mill.”
That collective “yes” became the foundation of an enterprise that today processes mung daal, channa daal, and tuver daal — entirely by and for women.
A market that comes to them
Today, the Kavitha Daal Mill is tightly linked with the SEWA Rudi network, a rural distribution chain operated by women, for women. Processed daal from the mill is packed, branded, and sold directly — cutting out middlemen and ensuring fair prices reach the farmers who grow the pulses in the first place.
“We process mung daal, channa daal, and tuver here at the mill. All our production is purchased by SEWA Rudi, so we don’t need to go outside to sell our product.”
This guaranteed market has changed the way farmers in the area work. Farmers now bring their produce directly to the mill, where they receive advance payments, reduced wastage, and access to a stable market — removing the uncertainty that once defined their livelihoods.
A ripple effect felt at home
The impact of the mill extends far beyond its walls. It has strengthened the local economy and given rural agriculture a renewed sense of momentum. But perhaps its deepest impact has been felt within individual households.
“SEWA has helped us become self-reliant. Earlier, if we needed to buy something, we had to ask for money at home. But now we’re able to contribute financially to our family because we are earning and have become independent. All thanks to SEWA.”
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