MADURAI: A healthy concept called ‘Aarogya Santhai’ which focuses on healthier lifestyle for families and connects them with natural living and eco-friendly products was launched in Madurai today-September 6th 2025.
This is an initiative jointly taken up by Green Fem and Voluntary Association for People’s Service (VAPS) from Madurai with the support of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to provide a platform for women to sell their products through ‘Aarogya Santhai‘ which in English refers to healthy market.
Senior government official Ms.S.Tamilarasi (Project Officer-Mahalir Thittam) had inaugurated the stalls expo at Gandhi Memorial Museum here today morning in the presence of Mrs.R.Elamathi, Director, Green Fem, Mr.A.S.Sakthi Balan, District Development Manager, NABARD-Madurai, Mr.K.R.Nanda Rao, secretary, Gandhi Memorial Museum, Ms.Anitha Britto, secretary, Soroptimist International and Mr.S.A.Arul, secretary, VAPS.
OUR’S IS A SUCCESS STORY:
Speaking at the inaugural function, Mrs.Elamathi has said that Green Fem was started in the year 2020 as a women’s collective and it has become a success story for socio-economic empowerment of women.
“Today there are 400 women members and our objective is to position them with economic independence by equipping them with skills in branding, labelling and marketing of their products. Many of them are single women, but they emerged successful in their business after many struggles. Green Fem is a women-run company and we thank NABARD for its continuous support. By conducting ‘Aarogya Santhai’, we will be able to give visibility for their products through stalls. It is a concept we started in Madurai today and we plan to have it on first Saturday of every month,” she said.
In today’s healthy market expo, there were 40 stalls and small women entrepreneurs and self-help groups had benefited by selling their products covering food ingredients, millets, honey, organic soaps, cakes, bone health products, ghee, jute bags etc.
Welcoming the gathering, VAPS secretary Mr.S.A.Arul has thanked Gandhi Museum for providing the place and space for conducting this women empowerment idea and he said that Gandhi Museum in Madurai has become a happening place.
