Weavers to be provided skill cards which will help them get start-up loans
The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) is walking the extra mile to provide livelihood opportunities to the Mising women weavers of Lakhimpur. The EPCH is also taking the initiative to promote Mising tribal textiles and provide market linkages. Bhagyavati Bhuyan of Women Development Centre, Lakhimpur, informed that the EPCH would help form a cluster of artisans. The artisans would be provided a platform from where they can stay in touch with designers, entrepreneurs, and exporters.
Based on the market response, the weavers will develop the product. Designers, entrepreneurs, and exporters associated with the clusters would act as a coordinator who would communicate and negotiate with the buyers. Bhuyan further informed, “The trained weavers would be issued skill grade cards and they would be assessed by the concerned designer. The cards would also help the weavers to get start-up loans and the wages would be fixed as per his or her caliber.”
To further enrich the weavers, a day-long workshop was held by EPCH in Mori Dirgha under the Kadam revenue circle in Lakhimpur. A brainstorming session was held on how the handicraft sector could get better market linkages based on the market trends Participating in the workshop as a resource person, textile designer Dhrubajyoti talked about preparing a product catalog with input from the designer. He said that a common website should be developed which will contain information on products of all clusters.