Tiny Farm Friends Ep. 12
We arrive at multiple crossroads in life with two choices: should and must. The story of our guest today is an example of choosing 'must.' Meet Mansi Kabra. Mansi Kabra is a dear friend, and a woman I have known for more than 13 years. She is a lighthouse and my go-to person for feedback and criticism. She is a thinker. She is interested in the concept of "development," professionally and personally, trying to understand this phenomenon through the lens of systems, metaphors, and time-to-time self-introspection. Mansi works as an associate director and a storyteller at the Good Business Lab. Prior to GBL, she worked in Rural Livelihoods and Development in Burkina Faso. She is the founder of Angai, a social enterprise located in rural Odisha that utilizes local resources to produce handmade soaps and supports the livelihood of tribal women.
" There was enough to live a comfortable life but not enough to live a luxurious life, and in that space between comfort and luxury, I found time. "
Images Courtesy: Mansi Kabra Angai is a story of how 33 women from the Lanjia Saura tribe of Odisha, decided to explore an alternate livelihood, and give something new a chance. In part, it is trying to address this void - by sustaining an alternative livelihood for tribal societies that is not seasonal, not alien to their culture but directly built on utilizing local skills and resources, and that empowers them through skill-building. In this conversation, we talk about her life in the countryside in a remote village located in the red belt of Odisha. We delve deep into her journey of building Angai. We convene about the sense of time in the countryside and the city. This spirited conversation is not only for someone looking to venture into the development sector but also for people looking to live an intentional life. What you will learn: Choosing must at the crossroads in life A sneak peek into the social development sector How to start a Social Enterprise What it's like to work in the countryside Living intentionally and making time for learning new things A generalist life I hope you enjoy this conversation with the lively and gritty Mansi Kabra. You can watch it on Youtube or stream it on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite platform. You can dive deeper into her work and reach out to Mansi on the following links: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mansikabra/?originalSubdomain=in Instagram: @emkay.28 , @angaisoap