Making Dona Pattal Transformed A Varanasi Woman Into A Role Model For Her Village
Seema Patel of Mohammadpur village took a Rs 1.5 lakh loan to start the business six years ago, which is fetching Rs 10 lakh annually.
Published : September 10, 2025 at 7:22 PM IST
Varanasi: Seema Patel of Mohammadpur village, 35 km from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, had no means to support a family of 12. Although she wanted to share the burden with her husband, who worked as a labourer in Mumbai, no formal education and social restrictions watered down her ambitions.
Not to let her down, Babulal Patel, her husband, supported her in starting a business of Dona Pattal or disposable food-serving items six years ago. Little did she know that this would transform the trajectory of her life. The business has started earning Seema Rs 10 lakh annually, employing over 300 women. Babulal also left Mumbai to start helping Seema in her endeavour.
"When I came to my in-laws' house after marriage in 1995, there was neither a livable house nor any single utensil. It was a mud house with a tiled roof. Be it rain, the family used to eat in earthen pots. I used to fetch water from afar, and when it rained, I kept the earthen pot in the open to collect water. It was very difficult to survive with a family of 12 people amid poverty, as my husband was the only breadwinner. We could not arrange for medicine and food," Seema narrated her struggle.
Seema decided to move out of the work in search of work to shoulder the burden of educating her four children. At that time, some women from Hyderabad visited her village to train women. When she wanted to join it, her in-laws refused, and it took a lot of persuasion to make Babulal agree.
"In 2019, I joined the training program with other women. We were taught how uneducated women can help their husbands by earning. The only thing on my mind was that if my husband earns Rs 500, I will also earn an equal amount daily to run the household," she said.
Following the training, a cluster-level organisation was formed in the village with Seema elected as the president. "This encouraged me a lot, and I chose the business of dona-pattal. We were given training to start this business. However, collecting funds was the biggest challenge as I needed Rs 1.5 lakh. Hence, I took a loan," she added.
Initially, one machine was bought to start making dona-pattal and in three years, her endeavour turned so profitable that the number of machines increased to three. "We also gave employment to women. When the demand for dona-pattal increased, we installed a machine with advanced technology. Today we have three such machines, where women work in three different shifts. There are nine women in each shift," Seema said.
Dona-pattal from this factory is sold not only in Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Bhadohi, Mau, Banaras, Chandauli and other nearby districts but also in other states. People from Bihar, Patna, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand also come here to buy dona-pattal, which, according to Seema, is a matter of great pride. "The biggest happiness for me is to employ women in my venture. This will help many women of this poverty-stricken village attain self-sufficiency," she added.
Seema's success is clearly visible in Mohammadpur, as over 35 machines are being operated by 300 women. Seema helps them at work and in selling their products. "The situation of our village has changed. Till yesterday, people used to live in poverty, and today, women are earning Rs 200-400 every day. Some women are earning Rs three to four lakh annually. It is the happiest thing for me that I am making the women of the village self-reliant," she added.
"I am very happy with Seema's success. Seeing her, women from nearby villages have taken up the work. Seema has completely changed not only her own life but also the lives of other women," Babulal said.
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