There was a festive atmosphere all over India on Sunday because of the festival of Raksha Bandhan, in which sisters tie a thread of rakhi on the wrists of their brothers, praying for their long and healthy life.
Tribal women in Chhattisgarh’s tribal-dominated Bastar district, infamous for Naxalites, are very happy around this time. These women do not celebrate the festival but their hard work of the past one month is ready to adorn many wrists and become a symbol of love between brothers and sisters.
“We have been trained in making rakhi and jewellery. We love to work in groups and create something new. Along with this, it is also good to earn,” Anju from Jhara Nand Purin, self-help group, told News18.
Every morning for the last one month, tribal women of Dantewada district have been making colourful rakhis throughout the day by coming out of their homes after completing the necessary household chores. A local non-profit organisation here is training these women to help them earn a living.
“These women use local bamboo to make rakhis which are eco-friendly but have modern designs. Colourful rakhis are being made from palm leaves, paddy rice and are available for sale in the Danteshwari Mart,” Anju added.
Women who once worked in the fields are become entrepreneurs today. At least 30 tribal women from Dantewada have benefited from this initiative. By making these eco-friendly rakhis, every woman managed to earn Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000. Each woman was given a target of making at least 20 rakhis in a day.
These women were given more money for working more than the target every day. For example, they get Rs 150 for making 20 rakhis in a day, Rs 75 for an additional 10 rakhis (30 in total) and Rs 300 for 40 rakhis.
“We feel very happy that we earn money by making eco-friendly rakhis,” a tribal woman who is part of a rakhi-making group told News18.
Sarita from Jhara Nand Purin told News18 that making rakhis is no easy task. “It is not an easy task. The women have to separate the fine threads from the raw bamboo. It takes patience and a great deal of work to create the designs. After wrapping the threads around the bamboo, they are made into modern designs, coloured, dried and knotted. Those stones are given,” he said.
These rakhis are being sold at stalls in the local market of Danteshwari Mart in the district. It is supported by Tribal Tokeni, a social platform for tribal products such as handicrafts, handlooms and minor forest produce.
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