Crafting bamboos and hopes, Salabeni women keep alive good old handicrafts

Mayurbhanj: In this era of synthetically finished products, the charm of traditional handicrafts is fading. Yet some women from a remote Salabeni village under Bangriposi block of Mayurbhanj district have kept on their efforts to keep this beautiful craft alive. To attain this motive, these women have formed Self Help Group called Maa Mansa SHG, through which they create unique utility crafts and showpieces out of bamboos. This has not only empowered them but also helped them contribute to their family expenses.

With their good efforts, these women have crafted about 41 types of articles made of bamboo which include showpieces of turtle, birds, flowers and also utility pieces like pen and toothbrush stands.

Hoping to take their craft to new heights, these women have expressed gratitude to the Government of India for providing them skill training to make them self-sufficient and also gave credit to the former district collector, Rajesh Prabhakar for their progress.

"Earlier we were not equipped with the skills to make anything other than mats and baskets, but after being trained under a skill training programme by the Government of India, we are now able to design various types of crafts and earn good amount of money," said Sarswati Baintha, a bamboo artist and member of the Maa Mansa SHG.

Another bamboo artist, Ranjit Kumar Mahant, said, "Women members could hardly earn 1000 Rupees per month with baskets and mats, but now they can earn up to 10,000 rupees with these handicrafts and that too with very less investment of goods and labour."