Kerala   

Weaving magic out of the ordinary

Wild grass, areca nut sheaths, ferns, banana fibre, wild beans and seeds and bamboo have turned into beautiful objects in their hands. They have become so successful at weaving magic out of these natural objects. They are now conducting exhibition showcasing their products, explaining to people how they make them. And of course they are earning a living out of it.

When in May 2005 a group of women in Thrikkaipetta village in Wayanad district stumbled upon the idea of making a full-time occupation out of flower arrangements they did not make much of it. Under the guidance of Uravu, an NGO based in Wayanad, the group made steady progress. Soon they were turning out bouquets, coasters, flower baskets, greeting cards and a whole lot of other objects of considerable beauty and the world was taking notice of their talents.

Susan Isaac, who was one of the first ones to venture into the business using dry flowers to turn out wall decorations, wedding flower arrangements, etc, says that the unit has since expanded to include six more women.

Sheeja, her colleague, who was at the recently concluded exhibition in Ernakulam Town Hall in connection with the Organic Kerala Commodity Exhibition confirms the popularity of the products from Fathima Dry Flowers, as their group is known.

Potted dry flowers, hair clips and seed jewellery were in great demand and Fathima Dry Flowers stall saw brisk sales over the last two days of the exhibition.

Outside Kerala

Ms. Isaac says that exhibitions have helped the group in a big way. Besides taking part in the exhibitions in Kerala, the group has also been to Delhi and Bangalore.

The group describes its products as natural décor for living spaces. True to the spirit, the raw materials for the beautifully crafted products come from the hills and forests of Wayanad, which have been abundantly blessed by nature.

One of the biggest draws in Kochi was the naturally dyed bamboo flowers. Bamboos blossom once in 40 years and the demand for these flowers is natural, says Ms. Sheeja.

It is a measure of the success of these enterprising women that over the last nearly two years they have been able to pay back about half the loans they had availed of through Kudumbasree and Prime Minister's Rozgar Yojana.

K.A. Martin

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