Shri Layland Marak is an entrepreneur from Ganolgre village under the Rongram Community and Rural Development (C&RD) Block, West Garo Hills, who is engaged in a unique business of processing and sale of Aloe Vera products through a Self Help Group (SHG) named Chizingjang. Aloe vera is a tropical plant which is widely known for the range of health benefits it offers. Layland is considered a pioneer by the people of his village and is attributed to be the driving force behind the Chizingjang SHG and its aloe vera business. Many vouched by his excellent leadership skills and praised him for his commitment and contributions towards the development and transformation of Ganolgre. Today, his efforts have taken the SHG to new heights and he hopes to create more opportunities to support his fellow community members so they too can achieve their dreams.
Early Life of Layland
Layland is the fifth child of seven siblings. His parents were farmers. Tragically, Layland lost his parents when he was still very young. This unfortunate incident changed his life completely. This would be the last time the siblings would ever live together under one roof. Having no one to look after them, they were left with no choice but to move from the village to stay with their relatives elsewhere. Layland moved to Williamnagar while his other siblings moved to other locations wherever their relatives could offer a home.
At Williamnagar, Layland excelled at school and showed keen interest in pursuing higher education. After matriculating, he moved to Tura and completed his 12th standard from Government College, Tura. He then got himself enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. Unfortunately, tragedy struck again. During his second year in college, he contracted an eye disease and had to undergo surgery. This occurred right before his final examinations and he was unable to appear for it that year. However, he did not lose hope. He was determined to reappear for the examination in the coming year after recovering from the disease. Sadly, his eyesight continued to deteriorate and eventually Layland had to discontinue his studies.
Finding a job after this was tough. Without a college degree, there were only a handful of jobs that he could apply for and these had huge number of applicants to compete with. But he never gave up and his perseverance eventually paid off when he secured his first job as a school teacher at the Jengjal Primary School, West Garo Hills in 1995. Through this job, he was able to support his two sisters and pay for their education. He supported them for five years until they too found work and became financially independent. Layland married in 2000 and today is a father of four children.
The Chizingjang SHG:
On 2nd October, 2002, at a time when the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project for Upland Areas (NERCOMP) funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) was in its initial phase, Layland was selected to be one of the members of newly formed Self Help Group (SHG) named ‘Chizingjang’, and also to be a Community Organiser under the Natural Resource Management Group (NaRM-G) formed under the project. In the same year, he was sent for training on Book Keeping at the Ganolgre Community Hall. Again in 2003 he was sent for training on Livestock at Tura. Today, Layland is a key member of the Chizingjang SHG responsible for driving the activities of the group which comprises 78 members. Livestock at Tura. Today, Layland is a key member of the Chizingjang SHG responsible for driving the activities of the group which comprises 78 members.
In 2004, the SHG purchased 4 buses which they used to ferry passengers between Asanang and Tura. However, they stopped this business after 4 years because it was not making enough profits.
Other than this, the Chizingjang SHG did well with other activities under the project and this was noticed by NERCOMP which decided to organise a two-day training on Aloe Vera at Ganolgre in 2006. Six months later, the SHG received 40,000 saplings from an Aloe Vera training institute in Karnataka. But after planting the saplings, the SHG had to put the activity on hold as they did not have technical expertise for processing the Aloe Vera. It was only in 2008 that the business was restarted with the laying of a foundation stone for a new Aloe Vera processing factory by the Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills. The new factory comprised machinery which includes juicers, charmers, cutting tables, filling machines, sealing machines etc. which were obtained with the efforts of Layland, under a special scheme of the government of India and the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA).
Funding for the Aloe Vera Processing Unit
The processing unit was built using funds from a special Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) - DRDA scheme which was introduced in the year 2010 and channelized through the NERCOMP project. IFAD contributed 10% towards the building of the processing unit, the community contributed 30% for building infrastructure and supply of boulders, chips, etc., and the remaining amount was funded through the scheme.
The factory was set up in three phases –
First phase - Building infrastructure started in 2007 and was completed in 2009 and the amount received was Rs 6.60 Lakh
Second phase - Juice and gel extraction machines were set up in 2010. The technical officer assigned for the project along with Mr Layland went to Delhi to purchase the machine which was worth Rs 7 lakhs.
Third Phase - The soap processing machine was purchased from Global Biotech, Gurgaon for Rs 10 Lakhs.
Marketing of Products:
For packaging, bottles are purchased from Kolkata, Siliguri or Guwahati and boxes for soaps are purchased from Kolkata. Packaging and labeling is done manually by a staff comprising 3 people. The Market Coordinator and Business Development Officer from NERCOMP supports with marketing of the product through the project.
The SHG sells its products at a store called Durama cave which is located at the Tura Super Market. They also sell at their factory. Customers include locals and tourists who are aware of the benefits of aloe vera. The SHG also supplies to local pharmacies and retailers.
Key challenges faced:-
- Raw material is not available locally and has to be bought from Ahmedabad or Kolkata which is expensive.
- Advertising aloe vera products is challenging and it takes time to get consumers to buy it. Packaging bottles and boxes have to be bought from Siliguri, Guwahati or Kolkata. Good quality packaging material is not available locally.
- Branding of the products is a challenge to the SHG due to lack of knowhow
- During monsoons, the factory suffers from frequent load shedding that hampers production.
- When the machines break down, spare parts are difficult to obtain and have to be bought through agents from other states.
- Due to misunderstandings the SHG sometimes faces social challenges including rumour mongering. Sometimes community members would attempt to discourage and discredit the SHG instead of encouraging it which affect the morale of workers.
Presently, there are fifteen people employed at the factory. The SHG also has a driver, a salesman and a chowkidar. During peak season, the factory manufactures upto 500 bottles of Aloe vera juice, 500 bottles of aloe vera gel and about 500 pieces of soap per day. However, this production is seasonal and depends on availability of input material and other resources. Depending on quantum of work, Layland would from time to time hire a few extra people to help with the cleaning, washing and cutting of the aloe vera for a daily wage of Rs. 200. The annual revenue from this business is approximately Rs. 7 lakhs. Under the initiative of Layland, a portion of this income is used to help the community through the construction of culverts, roads, public toilets etc.
Today, Layland is a renowned member of the community. His achievements are there for everyone to see. From our meeting with him, it is clear that the economic development of Ganolgre has and always will be foremost in his plans, and he has been vocal about the challenges which he has faced and the learning from them. After seven years in the business, he strongly advocates for transparency and good governance adding that these will be the pillars for positive change in the society.
Other Activities of Layland
Working as a Master Trainer
While the aloe vera processing unit was being set up, Layland spent a significant portion of his time honing his skill and understanding aloe vera by participating in various workshops organized by IFAD both within and outside the state. Upon returning, he made sure to share his experiences with other members of his SHG and with the community, and to apply the knowledge related to processing of Aloe Vera.
As his practical knowledge on aloe vera increased, Layland eventually became a master trainer, imparting training to other aspiring entrepreneurs who wished to start work in aloe vera. In 2012 Layland was invited to give practical training to farmers at the Senapati district of Manipur. Later that year he was invited to provide training to aloe vera farmers at Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
In 2016, IFAD in collaboration with the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC) together with the District Commerce and Industries Centre invited Layland to be a part of the international trade fairs held in places like New Delhi and Mumbai, being recognized by NERAMAC as one of the up and coming organic farmers in the state.
Livestock and Fishery
Layland’s determination did not end with aloe vera and his SHG. When he was attending various trainings on aloe vera, he also attended those on livestock and fishery. For fishery, he also approached the Fishery Department in Tura, West Garo Hills for support.
Using their support and the knowledge that he has accumulated, he started his own fishery business by building a 1,800 square feet fish pond. Unfortunately, this business did not do so well and the fishes have largely remained unsold. His livestock venture on the other hand, is doing well. Layland currently owns four Jersey cows that produce 7 to 8 litres of milk per day. He sells the milk to dairy farms who in turn sell it at Tura. He offers a percentage of the proceeds to his family.