In a growing technology-run and industrialized world, people are increasingly forgetting the traditional crafts and moving towards new innovation. Due to this, artisans are moving to alternative income generation methods, for instance — daily wage labour and farming; and art is losing its grip. Preserving and protecting the skills and knowledge of traditional crafts is a growing challenge.

Amplo Global CSR team has taken this vow to take necessary initiatives to protect this cause of revival and conservation of traditional form of art and also the artisans, who are compelled to look for alternative livelihood options due to lack of the knowledge of marketability and demand of the products they create.

Kalimpong

TRAINING THE WOMEN OF HILLY REGION TO BECOME FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT

Earning a livelihood has always been difficult in the hilly regions. Women in the rural areas of the hilly regions in Kalimpong do not get proper opportunities and as a result find it hard to become financially independent. Amplo Global CSR in collaboration with Ahana Foundations and INTACH and with the initiative and support of Hill Social Welfare Society (HSWS) have taken up the program for intervention with marginalized and vulnerable women from the hill tribes of Darjeeling district in the northern part of West Bengal, with the purpose: –

• To empower and collectivize the women living in the Lopchu and Peshok tea gardens of Rangli-Rangliot district of Darjeeling through SHGs
• To train these women into weaving dresses, shawls, stoles using the dying local traditional weaving techniques using traditional motifs.
• To help them with design inputs so that the products can find a larger market outside the local niche market.
• To connect the local community of artisans to the online marketing platforms and various state emporiums like Biswa Bangla or artisan’s forum like Dastkaar etc.
• To establish self- sustaining alternative livelihoods for poor women so that they are capable of coming out of rural poverty as well as the familial control and live a life with dignity.

They have already conducted workshops in two phases where professional trainer has been appointed to give training inputs and guidance to these women artisans to nurture and enhance their already existing weaving skill and develop expertise so that they can manufacture better quality products which have got high market demand.

At present, the AG CSR team is trying to organize for more such workshops so that increased number of women can be benefitted from the program.

Purulia

COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE IDENTITY TO THE WOMEN ARTISANS OF MALOHAR COMMUNITY IN PURULIA, WEST BENGAL

Malohar or Malakar is a caste-community that can be found in several blocks in Purulia, who are very less in number and scattered all across the district. Malohars has the long-cherished tradition of making artefacts for daily use as well as artistic production out of molten zinc or brass or copper. The artefacts they produce include ‘Sher-pai” (a measuring cup), Diyas or lamps, bells for the domestic animals etc. However, the practice currently is on wane as there is no demand except occasionally. The women, though know the art of making them, don’t practice as they are not aware of what to do with this skill.

The Malohars are extremely poor with little or no citizenship documents although they are residing in the villages where we found them (in Bonbohal in Purulia 1 block or Raghunathpur in Manbazar 2) since quite a long time. That is why they do not receive any benefits from government programs. 

Amplo CSR Team and Ahana have joined hands together to help in the empowerment of women artisans of Malohar community in Surulia village of Purulia district, West Bengal, who are struggling to get a dignified livelihood. In order to preserve the heritage of these lost artforms, our CSR team and Ahana are working diligently towards mentoring these families through the following actions:

• Resource identification and analysis to conduct training workshops for the artisans.
• Creating opportunities for group empowerment and personal leadership.
• Providing financial literacy education for women with special emphasis on developing bank linkages.
• Providing skill training that reflects job market realities. Link with the private sector for placement assistance. Partner with product development and marketing agencies to ensure sustainability of livelihood programs.
• Encouraging women to work cooperatively in the development of sustainable micro enterprises that will be viable in the current market.

Initiatives have also been taken on their behalf to get their official identification done which will enable them access their documents and government benefits that come with it. It will also ensure their children to get educational and nutritional aids in schools.