Panaji: Mandos from loud-speakers, coconut palm fronds woven into shade mats, Festachem Chonne (Gram) and sale of fresh organic produce. This might seem like a scene straight out of a typical Tinto in a village in Goa on a hot summer afternoon, but it was not.
This two day was inclusive and accessible Purumentakem Utsav Held in caculo mall, Panajiin the weekends.
Here, the platform was given to the local street vendors to sell organic spices, salt fish, pickles, vegetable seeds, pottery and other provisions at the mall which were traditionally sold before monsoon.
“Traditionally these foods were consumed in Goa. However, for decades, we took to processed foods. People have realized the health benefits of eating clean organic food and hence are returning to their roots. With very few people selling such traditional items in Goa, Purumentchem Fest is an ideal platform for selling such products,” said environmental activist Evertino Miranda.
Organic brown rice and pulses, jam made from organically grown mangoes, cold-pressed coconut oil, coconut vinegar without preservatives were some of the fast selling products at the fest.
A total of six table spaces were allotted to the handicapped to sell products like chillies, coconut oil, carpentry products etc.
Seventy percent visually impaired Akshay Kurade, who sits in the heat of Mapusa market selling handmade Kolhapuri chappals, was one such participant. “This is the first time that members of the Divyang community have got to sell their produce in the mall instead of the traditional market,” he said.
Desmond Dias of Quepem, a speech and hearing-impaired carpenter, managed to sell every single one of his articles during the two-day festival. John P, a resident of Chandor, who makes a living, managed to sell all his cakes on the very first day of the festival. Similarly, Resha Vernekar, who is partially visually impaired, sold all her food items within a day.
Bastora-based Savio Mascarenhas and his wife Valency, both speech- and hearing-impaired, fished out coconut oil for sale at the event, all of which were purchased. Tukaram Gaonkar of Quepem, who is partially visually impaired, sold every single shell of his chillies at the festival.
“No one should be excluded from doing business, especially if the venue is already access-friendly. This is a step towards empowerment of persons with disabilities,” said the organizers of the festival.
This two day was inclusive and accessible Purumentakem Utsav Held in caculo mall, Panajiin the weekends.
Here, the platform was given to the local street vendors to sell organic spices, salt fish, pickles, vegetable seeds, pottery and other provisions at the mall which were traditionally sold before monsoon.
“Traditionally these foods were consumed in Goa. However, for decades, we took to processed foods. People have realized the health benefits of eating clean organic food and hence are returning to their roots. With very few people selling such traditional items in Goa, Purumentchem Fest is an ideal platform for selling such products,” said environmental activist Evertino Miranda.
Organic brown rice and pulses, jam made from organically grown mangoes, cold-pressed coconut oil, coconut vinegar without preservatives were some of the fast selling products at the fest.
A total of six table spaces were allotted to the handicapped to sell products like chillies, coconut oil, carpentry products etc.
Seventy percent visually impaired Akshay Kurade, who sits in the heat of Mapusa market selling handmade Kolhapuri chappals, was one such participant. “This is the first time that members of the Divyang community have got to sell their produce in the mall instead of the traditional market,” he said.
Desmond Dias of Quepem, a speech and hearing-impaired carpenter, managed to sell every single one of his articles during the two-day festival. John P, a resident of Chandor, who makes a living, managed to sell all his cakes on the very first day of the festival. Similarly, Resha Vernekar, who is partially visually impaired, sold all her food items within a day.
Bastora-based Savio Mascarenhas and his wife Valency, both speech- and hearing-impaired, fished out coconut oil for sale at the event, all of which were purchased. Tukaram Gaonkar of Quepem, who is partially visually impaired, sold every single shell of his chillies at the festival.
“No one should be excluded from doing business, especially if the venue is already access-friendly. This is a step towards empowerment of persons with disabilities,” said the organizers of the festival.