To give fillip to the rural women entrepreneurs and create a market for their handmade products and services, a two-day exhibition began on Saturday showcasing different items, including clothes, imitation jewellery and traditional food items.
The Ludhiana municipal corporation organised the ‘waste to wow’ exhibition under Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) at the Rose Garden to help different self-help groups (SHGs). The event is open for visitors from 11am to 7pm.
Around 12 stalls, nine by the SHGs and 3 by different NGOs working under Swachh Bharat have been set up. Besides, exhibiting various handmade and recycled products, the stalls also carried decorative material, clothes, imitation jewelry and traditional food item for sale.
“We are a group of 10 ladies and we sell readymade and unstitched garments. A few of us who are well-trained tailors also provide boutique services. Anyone who buys unstitched cloth from us can have it tailored too. To expand this venture, we have also sought financial aid from the government under the NULM scheme so that all can become independent,” Anju, 42, from Shimlapuri, who is running a garment stall at the event, said.
A former factory worker, Anju recently took up the garment business to support her child’s education.
{{/usCountry}}A former factory worker, Anju recently took up the garment business to support her child’s education.
{{/usCountry}}Under the NULM, a self-help group consisting of at least 10 members is given financial assistance of ₹10,000 at the initial stage and if needed, a self-employment loan of up to ₹2 lakh can also be availed from the government to expand the business.
Such 10-member SHGs from the weaker sections of society who work in a particular field are assisted by the civic body in opening bank accounts of the groups for getting financial assistance from the government.
In the financial year 2022-23, the civic body with a motive to connect local businesses and artisans formed around 95 self-help groups and helped them avail financial aid required for their respective business growth.
MC joint commissioner Sonam Chaudhary, who inaugurated the event, said, “to skill women entrepreneurs, we try to give them such platforms where they are free to display and promote their work. Creating SHGs is a way to bring together women doing small-scale business. Here they connect with like-minded partners helping their enterprise flourish and reach more consumers.”
Transforming waste into assets
As many as three stalls were set up under the Swachh Bharat mission displayed products made out of waste material, and also demonstrated home composting of wet waste.
Explaining how wet waste from the kitchen can be recycled and reused, Rajinder Singh Kalra an environmentalist and founder of Green Thumb Group, said, “Kitchen waste can be turned into an asset only if one has patience and correct knowledge to do so. From orange, banana, lime, onion peels to egg shells and used tea leaves, everything can be composted at home without any fancy apparatus. The manure or bio-enzyme generated from such waste is not only cost-effective but also yields super good results. It enhances soil health and multiplies the harvest too.”
Kalra also showcased eco-friendly bricks at his stall which are now being used to build schools and roads. He said that such bricks (plastic bottles filled with non-degradable waste) are proven to be super-durable and one can build concrete structures with them.
Around 500 cloth bags will also be distributed among the visitors to discourage the residents from using banned plastic carry bags.