Across four districts of Odisha, scores of Kondh tribal women are making money — from waste.
Self-help groups in Rayagada, Gajapati, Koraput and Kandhamal recycle unused cotton and cuttings to create toys, cushion covers, doormats, wall-hangings and myriad other items.
The products crafted from waste (Handicraft) are sold at fairs and cultural events such as Koraput’s famous Chaita Parva, Pallishree Mela and Bhubaneswar’s Adivasi Mela
For the past decade, the 120-odd members of these groups have come together under the banner of Sunshine Multimedia Academy and Rural Development Action (SMARDA), Rayagada.
The women are not dependent on their craft as agriculture is their mainstay, but the money is welcome. Kumudini, a member of the Maa Majhi Gaudi SHG, stresses, “The handicraft work is really a major support, as income from our fields is sporadic and seasonal.”
“Sometimes, farm income is not enough to run the household,” she says. That’s when the women — earning Rs 200-300 per day on an average — can contribute to the kitty.
SMARDA secretary Suryakanti Raut tells The Indian Tribal the crafted products are sold in local markets and, more importantly, at fairs and cultural events such as Koraput’s famous Chaita Parva, Pallishree Mela and Bhubaneswar’s Adivasi Mela.
