Kishore (AIF fellow at Seva Mandir) wrote the following article:

Vita Goat Microenterprise

Introduction In February 2010 Seva Mandir in partnership with YES Bank and Malnutrition Matters initiated a soy processing microenterprise designed to further its goal of improving livelihoods in rural Rajasthan. Through this partnership Seva Mandir purchased a soy processing system known as Vita Goat at a subsidized cost. With an input of soy beans, Vita Goat can produce products such as soy milk, tofu and yogurt. The goals of this microenterprise are to 1) provide a steady source of employment and income for the tribal villagers that operate the machine and 2) address the problem of malnutrition in Rajasthan through the promotion of healthy food products. Vita Goat was installed in Kaya village, approximately 20 km to the south of Udaipur. Prior to the machines installation, many of the villagers in Kaya had shown a strong interest in participating in an income generation activity of some sort, and eventually settled on soy production as an ideal business to run. Following installation, several training sessions were conducted for the villagers on topics such as how to operate the machine, how to make quality products that will appeal to consumers, etc. The machine itself is relatively easy to operate after a minimal amount of training anyone in the village can use it. Furthermore, it operates without electricity or running water by employing a bicycle-powered grinder and locally available firewood for fueling the boiler. This was deemed a huge advantage of the Vita Goat machine, as it is installed in a village where electricity and running water may not be readily available. The basic process for operating the machine is as follows: first, soy beans are soaked the night before production. The next day, the moist soy beans are ground using a cycle grinder into a soy bean paste. This paste is then mixed with boiled water, and the mixture is steamed until soy milk is produced. If tofu is desired, a coagulant is mixed with the soy milk to harden the milk.

Ganesh, one of the Urja workers, operating the soy processing machine

Progress to Date Initially Seva Mandir with the help of two volunteers and staff had started the work, as it was thought that the villagers and women group members would not be able to market the product. Akshay and Kishore, the volunteers, focused primarily on creating marketing materials, developing a suitable packaging method for the products, and streamlining other logistics such as transport. With the help of a professional design consultant in Udaipur, the brand name (Urja), the logo, and tagline (Urja Piyo Healthy Jiyo) were all finalized. Marketing materials such as pamphlets and banners were also created in collaboration with design professionals. Sealed plastic packages, utilizing a small electric packing machine, were decided on as the packaging method of choice for the tofu. Each package carries a small stick-on label for Urja, including reasons why tofu should be consumed and storing directions. To date, no packaging has been decided on for the soy milk.

Urjas stall at the Rotary Club Mela of Udaipur, October 24th

Urja tofu is currently sold at 100 rupees / kg, which is considerably lower than the typical price of paneer, which is the closest substitute. Due to its high nutritional value and low price, Seva Mandir expects that the product will be attractive to many businesses and individuals. To date, American Hospital of Udaipur, Trident Hotel and a local tofu kiosk have been consistent purchasers of Urja. Furthermore, in accordance with the dual goals of generating sales and improving the nutritional status of children, Urja has been supplying milk regularly to the Balwadi educational camp at Kaya. Weekly Urja is supplying 75 liters to the camp, and to date 625 liters have been supplied. Future Steps The youth of Kaya has taken over most of the day to day operations of Urja, including manufacturing and delivering the product. As much of the groundwork for the microenterprise has been completed and finalized, the primary challenge lying ahead is to establish more consistent buyers for the product. The village group, SHG members and youth associated with the local Youth Resource Centre are being consulted and trained to take over the enterprise.