What’s unique about this Maa Pucha (women’s group) is that it has stepped beyond the usual savings group approach and gone commercial with an innovative idea of serving their “homemade” lip-smacking Newari delicacies. [break]
Formed in 1995, this women’s group has come a long way to develop into what it is now. Initially, it had also started off the usual way with an objective to help women with their household savings. However, after a few years, it changed its approach and now their tagline is “Save to become self-dependent; work to save.”
Maiya Dangol, one of the co-assistants of the group who work as fulltime staff at the office, takes us back to their beginnings.
“Before we had this group, Guheshwori Shrestha Didi used to give adult literacy classes at her own residence to the women of this tole,” she begins and adds with repressed laughter, “I was so shy then, I didn’t even attend the classes but many of the women from our tole did and continued it for five to six months.”
Later, they started collecting Rupees 5 a month but soon realized that even those five Rupees they had to either borrow or steal from their husbands’ income. “Didi then advised us that all of us have been good cooks in our homes. Why not utilize our skills and deliver what all of us were good at?”
She then offered to get some contacts and clients while they started sharing some tips and training each other. At first, they worked from their own kitchens. However, four years back, they decided to start off as a full-fledged catering service. They have now rented a small room where they prepare their dishes.
Visitors come to this tiny carpeted office with virtually no furniture and a low desk with record files piled up on the sides and chakatis or floor mats.
Sumitra Maharjan, another member of the group who looks after their accounts and also one of the youngest at 29, says that they have been making decent progress in their earnings and making good profits as well.
“It’s just four months since I joined. But knowing that it started with less than 10 women and now has more than 50 housewives involved and employed, I would call it progress,” added Ganga Dangol, who did not really talk much throughout the interview but smiled and nodded as Maiya Dangol spoke.
“At first, we would feel so shy to even step into offices where we had to deliver foods or collect payments. We would literally be pushing each other to go beyond the gates,” she says laughing and adds, “But we’ve overcome our shyness. I was a person who couldn’t even step out of the house alone, but now I’m confident to go anywhere for work.”
Catering to more than 100 events a year, they have also started catering for bigger events like marriages and bratabandha. They say they get most orders during social occasions like Jatras and festivals when people have to prepare traditional foods.
From sweet dishes such as Yomari to appetizers like Chhoyla and bara to entire menus of different varieties of dishes that make up a full Newari bhoj or feast, their service now includes all this.
As there aren’t as many traditional Guthis or groups that would help to plan and manage Newar feasts during such social occasions, their catering service has good potential, they say.
With no other publicity as yet besides word or mouth, the Maa Pucha catering service specializing in Newar dishes has been providing its services to Newars and non-Newars in and around the Valley. Catering to high-profile guests at Nepal Academy and Nepal Tourism Board is also now under their portfolio.
Moreover, with more people now opting for western-style buffet parties, their effort can also be recognized as a contribution that can help preserve one of the authentic Nepali food cultures.
This September 11, on the occasion of Indra Jatra, Maa Pucha Gophal, along with Socialtours, a travel company, and Powerful Hands will serve a traditional Newar Vo’ye (bhoj) – a grand feast at the Dwarika Chhen, near Basantpur.
The event, which is being planned with a long-term goal to make it an annual experience, will be Maa Pucha’s another leap to commercial success and a chance for all Newari food lovers to feast tto their hearts’ content.
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