From Unniyappam to Cafe Kudumbashree: A Journey of Culinary Excellence

quick Summary

• Shareefa Kalathingal, hailing from Malappuram, started her entrepreneurial journey 13 years ago wiht a ₹100 loan.
• She first sold unniyappam (a sweet snack), which gained quick popularity and led to orders for other items like pathiri and chapati.
• In 2018, she established Muthu’s Catering under the Kudumbashree movement, utilizing a ₹2 lakh loan to expand operations.
• During COVID-19 lockdowns, she delivered food daily to Government Medical College Hospital at Manjeri, catering breakfast and rice gruel for 2,000 people while employing 15 women.
• Her success expanded into long-term contracts to manage canteens at Kottakkal Ayurveda college and Central School in Malappuram. She also catered for high-profile events such as an adalat attended by ministers.
• Shareefa launched Cafe Kudumbashree in Kottakkal offering Kerala, Arabic, Chinese dishes alongside local specialties with modern amenities like parcel service and online ordering facilities.
• The enterprise employs 30 staff members today and has become integral in supporting multiple families while fulfilling her ambitions of owning a home and educating her children.

Indian Opinion Analysis
Shareefa Kalathingal’s story is emblematic of grassroots entrepreneurial potential being harnessed through community-driven initiatives like Kudumbashree in Kerala. From poverty alleviation to economic empowerment of women through employment generation-as reflected in Shareefa’s team of 30-the trajectory of this venture underlines the critical role played by micro-financing schemes in fostering self-reliance among marginalized sections of society.

Her ability to adapt during crises (such as during the pandemic) suggests resilience within informal economies when supported adequately through local networks like Kudumbashree’s community support framework. The Café Kudumbashree offers lessons on how small-scale ventures can grow sustainably into confidence-building models encouraging entrepreneurship among women while visibly contributing to both rural economic activity and urban needs.

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