Skill development program held to empower women in Guwahati

The northeast region of India has great potential for making products out of coir.

Recently, a two-month-long skill development program on coir making was held here with the objective of encouraging self-employment among rural women folk.

The programme was held under the theme of "go green, no plastic".

The Coir Board Department is promoting the Mahila Coir Yojana (MCY), and invited around 30 women for the training program.

They were trained to make coir from coconut fibre, spin coir and also taught to prepare incense sticks.

Bidut Chakraborty, one of the organisers of the programme, said: "These women are taking training to make coir rope under the scheme of Mahila Coir Yojna. After training they will get a loan from a scheme called the "Remote Scheme" in which they can open their own shop. In Assam, coconut is available everywhere but people don't know how to use waste coconut to transform into coir rope. Nowadays, the demand for coir rope is very high. So, imparting such training is very important and will benefit everyone in the future."

The coconut fibre was earlier seen as waste, but it is now a source of income for these women.

Over the last two decades, the production of coir fibre has substantially increased in the North East. It can be used to make ropes, handicrafts like doormats, and a variety of artistic objects.

The training will help them earn extra money and also become self-reliant.

Sharmila Talukdar, a participant, said: "We are being trained for one month. I am learning how to make incense sticks, and after doing so, I want to open my own shop."

Authorities in the state are aiming at creating a skilled labour force through such programs that can speed up the region's development.