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The business of the tribal community Medara here who make bamboo products is flourishing again this summer after being hit for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Expressing their happiness, the tribal people said that their business is booming and they were able to clear their debts. A weaver from the Medara community, A Prasad said, "We make balcony bamboo rolling mats. These mats are used in balconies to protect from the direct sunlight in summer, and dust and rains in the rainy season. In a year, we have a business for three months during the summer season. After that, we do daily labour work. This season we have so much work that we don't have free time." Prasad said that one order takes nearly five days to complete. After receiving the order, they start working on it. Once delivered, then they start another order. "I have two daughters who study in a nearby school. We work hard so they can study well. It takes around five days to make a mat. Once completed and delivered, we immediately start another project. We hardly get any free time, especially during summer. The past two years have been miserable due to the pandemic, but this year we got good business. We are out of debt and by god's grace we are happy," Prasad added. Another weaver, Teja Gandhi who is a native of Vijayawada said, "The business is not much but unlike last year we have got a good start at least. There are mediators and then direct customers also, from where we get the business. We make bamboo mats, then we colour them. There is a rope to tie it. So we take the measurements first and then make and deliver them for fittings. It takes almost 3 to 4 days to complete one order." For the Medara community, summer is the best season for earning, as people prefer bamboo-made products. The people from this community make a variety of things, including bamboo mats, bamboo baskets temporary tents used for shade in the shops, temples, and pandals for festival celebrations. A weaver woman, Ratnam said, "In order to strengthen the mat, we tie the bamboo to two pillars, and stones are tied to the small rope. I am weaving the mat for shade to protect it from sunlight. It is handmade so it takes around three hours to finish this. After that, we put colour and clothing material on it." The Medara community is mostly dependent on their caste-based profession for several decades. Both women and men of the tribal community work together weaving bamboo products for their livelihood. (ANI)
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