Rajasthan tribal women learn candle making under project 'Sakhi'

Hindustan Zinc's project "Sakhi" has been empowering dozens of rural and tribal women in Rajasthan's Zawar region, near here, by teaching them to make perfumed candles.

The project is teaching these disadvantaged women the art of making perfumed candles -- from slicing raw wax into small pieces to using colours and perfumes in the right proportions, and finally placing the wick - to open an avenue of income for them.

What is encouraging is that the candles made by these women are receiving a good response.

"We initially made about 500 candles and they have already been booked. Now these women have already received confirmed orders worth Rs.1.50 lakh from Rotary Mewar," said Pavan Kaushik, head of project Sakhi, on Thursday.

More orders are expected near Diwali.

"We are all enjoying learning candle-making, and this is something new and exciting. We would be making candles for our homes also," said Sugna, who participated in the workshop.

The project also has provision of honorarium for all the participants. So it is earning through learning for them.

The participants came up with the idea of including turmeric and curry leaves for the natural colours in the candles.

Hindustan Zinc, which has its headquarters here, is also conducting various other activities, such as spice-making, fashion garments, home furnishing, uniform making, paper craft, mat making and papad making, under the same project.