Women infuse life into waste through their creativity

Surat: The Urban Community Development department of Surat Municipal Corporation in association with sakhi mandals is not only ensuring that creativity in women blossom, but also creating opportunities for them to earn. Women are making furniture, teapoys and other useful items from discarded tyres and other waste material to earn more than Rs 100 per piece from the orders received. Ganesh idols made by them from catechu threads are especially in great demand. The UCD department has been running a training class for women to make Ganesh idols from catechu threads at its office in Rander municipal zone in the city. Over 200 women are getting training to make Ganesh idols from catechu threads.
"Artworks made by the women were put on sale under UCD's Hunnar project during the Gopi Kala Utsav, which was held recently, and people evinced huge interest in them. Work is on by women of sakhi mandals to fulfill the orders taken at the utsav," assistant commissioner, UCD department, SMC, Gayatri Jariwala said. Jewellery, rangoli and flowers worth Rs 95, 000 and items worth Rs 15,100 made from waste were sold by the women at the five-day utsav.
"Women can make good money by working for a few hours in a day from their houses. Idol-making offers them good scope to earn some money. Their idols are not only eco-friendly, but light in weight," Jariwala said.
A medium-size idol could be made from just thread, gum, paper and other material at a cost of Rs 100, but it will fetch Rs 200 in market. The UCD department also launched Pink Auto project for women in 2017 in the city. Over 80 such autorickshaws are operating successfully in the city, helping women drivers and owners to earn handsome income.
by via Surat News, Latest Surat News Headlines & Live Updates - Times of India