Our Beginnings
Blue Mango was founded in 2001 by Tamar working under AHM Trust. We started with four women members of a struggling microfinance group and set up shop in a termite-infested silkworm shed. At that time, husbands were migrating to bigger cities for work and there was a felt need for women’s income generation in our district. A big break came when a donor funded the construction of our present workshop on a beautiful new campus. Blue Mango became an independent trust in 2009 and has grown into a self-sufficient social enterprise.
Blue Mango is located in the rain shadow of the Cardamon Hills, surrounded on three sides by mountains in Theni District, Tamil Nadu. Traditionally, the economy of this area has been based on seasonal agriculture, but due to a falling water table, life has become more and more difficult for our villagers. Through the years, Blue Mango has given women a viable alternative source of income.
Women who are ostracized find a family when they join Blue Mango. Widows are often believed to spread “bad luck” and are shunned from communal functions and family events. Those who struggle economically suffer from anxiety and depression. Differently-abled women have a hard time finding work and social standing. At Blue Mango, we accept one another and build upon each other’s gifts.