€
Company
Project Update
Sharepeople (EYE) , Pradan
April, 2011
Progress - Re-design of Silk Reeling Machine Annemarie Mink The Indian NGO, PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action) organizes poor rural village women in
so-called
Self-Help-Groups
(SHGs)
and
engages
them in independent livelihood activities, which serve as opportunities for diversifying and enhancing the poor women’s livelihoods. One of these activities is Tasar yarn production (spinning and reeling), which has traditionally been a low-paying activity in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh, carried out by poor rural women in their spare time, mainly by women in weaver families (without any remuneration), or as wage labor (which is uncertain, low paying, hard work and brings a woman’s dignity in question). PRADAN concluded that the incomes of As of April 2011, 67 ‘Anna Charkha’ machines are running in three villages and 250 more have been ordered for more villages. The demand for the machine is increasing because of its better productivity and a higher quality yarn.
rural women can be enhanced substantially by introducing modern production organizations, new technologies and opening up new markets for Tasar silk.
Promoting women entrepreneurship PRADAN separated yarn production from the weaving activity and promoted it as an independent, separate and viable enterprise. They introduced new machinery (reeling and rereeling machine) to replace the primitive and rudimentary technology. They also started up a Tasar fabric marketing organization that designs and markets the final fabrics and so enhances the sales of the yarn. The strategy followed is to organize women from different SHG’s in reeling groups who together can start the reeling activity in a reeling center (specially build for this activity). The women buy
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