Jyoti Shekar
In this section, we bring you women who have floored us with their combination of creativity and entrepreneurship.
Meet Srilatha Siddharth, the founder of Finger Puppets, which makes interactive books called ‘Busy Books’, customised as per a child’s interests and age.
These books are handmade with bright cotton prints and felt fabrics to grab and engage the attention of children. These are sewn together, making them easy to handle by children, as they do not come apart at any amount of rough handling.
The busy books, apart from being fun and intuitive, help children in developing:
- Fine motor skills,
- Enhance dexterity and coordination,
- Encourage creativity & problem solving skills, and
- Simulate senses and perception.
We asked Srilatha the origin of such an interesting idea for kids. She says, ‘The concept of busy book is actually not new in the western countries. I stumbled upon it when I was researching for ways to keep my one year old busy on an upcoming long flight. Having been a crafter all my life, this idea really interested me and so I got all the raw materials and gave it a go. My first book was not all perfect, but that did not deter my baby in having a good time. Seeing her interest in the book, I made a few and gifted to my friends’ children too. I was really encouraged with all the responses I got and that is how Finger Puppets came to be.’
Srilatha is a full time parent, working only at nights to make Finger Puppets happen. Her products are made to order and are specifically designed to fulfil the needs of an individual child.
In addition to running Finger Puppets, she is also an active trust member of an NGO called Basel Children’s Trust. This is an organisation that helps and supports expecting parents and families with kids in Basel, Switzerland with parenting tips, information and necessary help and support.
You can view and order her products at https://www.facebook.com/FingerPuppetz/?ref=br_rs
Her parting advice to women entrepreneurs is ‘to believe in your offering and if it is something handmade and creative like the books, then practice your craft until you perfect it. Then only think of selling. Do not ignore the learning curve!’
Eyra salutes such multi-tasking and enterprising women, who not only juggle their personal and professional roles but refuse to compromise on their duty towards society.
Eyra 