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On a golden path
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Fisherwomen lend sheen to their lives by taking up jewellery making
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GOLD CRAFT Ornament making in process in Parangipettai, Cuddalore PHOTO:C.Venkatachalapathy
From mending fishing nets to making gold-covering ornaments, the fisherwomen at Parangipettai in Cuddalore district have come a long way. And, the trigger for this was the tsunami.
In its aftermath, the fisherfolk did not venture into the sea for weeks and lived on other’s generosity. However, the survival instinct in the women saw them thinking of an alternative livelihood. The Commissionerate of Town Panchayats came to their rescue by offering various sources of livelihood. The women chose ornament making.
In all, 33 families opted for the gold covering trade, and they formed two Self-Help Groups — Sri Amirtha Valli Amman SHG and Ellai Amman SHG.
The Commissionerate has arranged for financial assistance of nearly Rs. 3 lakh for procuring machinery and other inputs, imparted basic training and taught them the intricacies of chemical treatment, says P. Velusami, livelihood specialist of the Commissionerate.
Now, these women confidently string together the copper links in a chain with a welding torch, polish it and lend it sheen through the complicated gold-plating process. And, even stamp their group seal in all their creations.
Jewellers at Chidambaram have placed orders for their ornaments, and the groups are planning to tap outside markets, and even explore export possibilities. They are to soon undergo advanced training in jewel making.
A.V. RAGUNATHAN
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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