Gujarat rural women turn traditional handicrafts into source of livelihood

In Sarsoli village, ten women came together in 2023 to form the Chamunda Sakhi Mandal and took up basket-making and other handicrafts as a home-based enterprise.

With government training, raw-material support, and financial assistance, the women have expanded their production and started selling their products directly to customers through door-to-door sales and local fairs.

"We are ten women in this cooperative who make things like hats, caps, small-sized beds, and bags. We sell them at fairs. The government has provided Rs 30,000 as a revolving fund in our bank account, and we have also taken a loan of Rs 2.70 lakh. We use that amount to create these items," said Jyotiben Thori, a member of Chamunda Sakhi Mandal.

The group participates in fairs, including Poonam and Shivratri fairs, providing the women with opportunities to showcase and sell their products and gain recognition.

"These women make different items and sell them at fairs, like the Poonam fair or Shivratri fair. They go there to sell these items and have earned good recognition," said Pranami Bhumiben, a member of Chamunda Sakhi Mandal.

The initiative has also enabled the women to take greater responsibility for sales, customers, and financial management, while contributing to their family income.

"The government's aim is to provide assistance to help women earn their livelihood. By doing this, the women will be able to make more money, and their businesses will be able to grow. Through this, these women took part in different kinds of fairs and sold their products. This has made all these women self-reliant," said Nishar Kumar Patel, Assistant Project Manager, NRLM, Aravalli.

The journey of the Chamunda Sakhi Mandal highlights how traditional skills, when supported with training, financial assistance, and market opportunities, can help rural women build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen their financial independence. (ANI)