Entrepreneurship Development and Marketing (EDP)

Strengthening of the productive and employment sectors in the operational area by using the locally available human and natural resources is the main objective of the EDP Department. The department involved in molding of successful entrepreneurs and thus make possible the self-sufficiency of the downtrodden. Bodhana launched a number of programmes to improve the livelihood of men and women by training them and helping them to sustain their skills.

The marketing network named ‘BODHISREE’, facilitates the buying-back and marketing of commodities and goods produced by the members of Bodhana CBOs. The difficulties in marketing are taken care by the department. The products available in these shops include honey, byproducts of honey, vermin compost, bio-fertilizers, toiletry items, ayurvedic products, handicrafts etc.

A well-equipped Bee Research Centre forms one of the significant departments of Bodhana. Beekeeping & Honey production has both economic and ecological value. The honey research and training center conducting training on beekeeping and also facilitating the farmers to engage in beekeeping to produce quality honey. In the Agmark laboratory functioning in association with the research centre, the raw honey collected from the bee farmers is processed and labelled as Agmarked. The Bodhisree marketing network marketed the Agmark branded honey and honey products produced by the farmers through its marketing outlets. Value-added products such as honey dates, honey garlic, honey amla, honey grapes, honey ginger, honey jack fruit, honey cherry, Elachi honey etc are also produced and marketed by this department. Bee colonies and high-quality beekeeping equipment are available in this department.

Bodhana delivers training and produces Mushroom spawns in its Bio-lab for the entrepreneurs in a large quantity. A mushroom hut for promoting mushroom cultivation among the marginalized is functioning in Bodhana central campus. The mushroom cultivation is an easy income generation method is popularized among the small scale farmers through monthly training. Two days of training were conducted at every month in the central and community level.

A vocational training centre is functioning at the Regional office premises of Bodhana. The vision of the training centre is to make the poor self-reliant by developing their skills. The center is providing continues training on Beekeeping, Mushroom Cultivation, Toiletry products, Paper Bag, Jewellery making, Beautician, Tailoring, Saree Designing and Embroidery, Fabric Painting, Organic farming, waste management etc. Family budgeting classes, financial counseling, personality development classes, Introductory classes for new entrepreneurs are the other major programmes of the Training Centre.