Orissa women draw national attention
Until a few years ago, most part of their time was spent on collecting firewood, animal rearing and looking after day-today home affairs. Today, they are transacting businesses with leading agencies of the country and each of them is earning nearly Rs 3,000 a month, strongly contributing to the family income. And their exploit has drawn nation-wide attention.
Navjeevan cooperative Limited (NCL), a cooperative organisation of displaced women residing at Trijanga rehabilitation colony at Kalinga Nagar in Orissa’s Jajpur district, has seen its members travelling from an obscure and insecure position to place of reckoning and recognition.
Initially starting with paintings and wall hangings, NCL, the cooperative organisation promoted by the country’s leading steel producer Tata Steel, has gone for product diversification by expanding its range of offerings to garments. Its range of products, among others, include hand-painted T-shirts, hand-painted stoles, dupattas, sarees and multi-utility items like conference files and folders, flower vases, pen stands, laminated jute bags and mobile covers.
The strategy has paid off well, with the cooperative generating a turnover of about Rs 42 lakhs last year. The NCL products have now found buyers outside Orissa. Fabindia, Tribes India, an organisation under the Union ministry of tribal affairs, and Delhi Crafts Council, are among the buyers that have evinced interest to procure products from NCL. The NCL has already bagged a small order for supply of hand paintings on stoles, dupattas and wall hangings from Delhi Crafts Council.
“We have sent saree samples garments and paintings to some reputed national buyers and are awaiting their response. Tribes India has also shown interest in our products and is likely to visit our place soon,” says Mr Mukul Kumar Mishra, senior associate programme manager (SAPM) of the cooperative, who looks after livelihood activities, backroom support and market linkages.
“Following the capacity building exercise for artisans of the garment unit, the NCL is leveraging the expertise of two graduates of NIFT for preparation of season-wise designs, modulation of production plans, and standardisation of products, among other things. The designers visit the garment unit at Trijanga for 7-8 days in a month,” says Mr Mishra.
With active facilitation from the rehabilitation and resettlement team of Tata Steel’s Kalinga Nagar Project, the cooperative also runs poultry units, two garment units, pickle making units, phenyl making units and a painting unit. More than 110 members who belong to the displaced families have come together to form this cooperative.
Comments
Hats off to Tata steel,
santosh
01 Aug 2012 - 01:34
Hats off to Tata steel, Kalinga and Women artisans of Odisha. Tata is doing a very good job in supporting the artists of Odisha, and in my view Tata is the no one company in supporting the public interest, whether it is health, education, jobs;etc.
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