Livelihood and Entrepreneurship Development Programme (LEDP) on Bamboo and Value added products.
Project Overview
The Hub Jorhat, Bosco Institute, is implementing a Livelihood and Enterprise Development Programme through bamboo and value-added products with support from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Regional Office. The objective is to train 90 aspiring women in the district of Jorhat to become entrepreneurs in bamboo value-added products by developing their skills and facilitating financial support for whoever needs it. The training programme will have necessary inputs on enterprise management, business awareness, rural market dynamics, achievement motivation, simple accounting procedures, and skill development training. Further, The Hub Jorhat would support the beneficiaries in credit linkage, market linkage, support for setting up demonstration unit. The demonstration unit would have basic equipment and raw materials, where these trainees, after completion of their training, can come and produce more bamboo items and at the same time enhance their skills.
17-days Training Programme on Bamboo and Value Added Products
In the initial phase of the project, various awareness camps were organised in the peripheral area of Bosco Institute, where interested women registered themselves for the training. The names of the women who registered themselves were sent to the bank along with the required details for finding their CIBIL with the help of The Assam Cooperative APEX Bank, Jorhat. This enabled us to ascertain the women who would be able to avail bank credit support when needed, based on their CIBIL score.
The 1st batch of 30 participants was finalised, and the training started on April 2, ’24. The training included theory and practical classes. During the training, the participants were made to understand bamboo grass, its varieties, its numerous uses, and its preservation by Mr. R.K. Kalita, Scientist, Head, Extension Division, ICRFE- Rain Forest (Indian Council of Forestry and Research and Education), Jorhat. The trainees were also trained on how to cut the bamboo pieces into different shapes, the use of tools, the use of adhesive, how to sand the pieces and how much, polishing, varnishing, etc.
The participants were also trained to make various products like pen stands, water bottles, cups, drinking glasses, trays, wall hangings, etc. A total of 22 products were crafted out of bamboo. During the training period, all the safety measures were taken so that none of the trainees got injured.
Sessions on entrepreneurship, business aspects of bamboo products, marketing, branding and pricing were also facilitated by Mr. Pankaj Baruah, Indian Institute of Management- Calcutta Innovation Park. The Hub Jorhat, Bosco Institute have also emphasised the importance of bringing in bankers to facilitate sessions on credit linkage in order to make rural women understand the criteria for applying for loans and the process for availing of loans from banks to start their own enterprises. Accordingly, Mr. M. Buragohain, Branch Manager, The Assam Cooperative APEX Bank, Jorhat, facilitated a session on the same.
The Hub Jorhat, Bosco Institute, took the trainees on an exposure visit to the Indian Council of Forestry and Research and Education- Rain Forest, Jorhat and sessions on bamboo preservation, bamboo charcoal and bamboo briquettes, bamboo pickles, bamboo structures, and furniture were facilitated by Mrs. Runumi Borthakur of ICFRE-Rain Forest, Jorhat. During the exposure visit, the participants were taken on a tour of the nursery, which has 52 species of bamboo.
Representative from the District Industries and Commerce Centre, Jorhat, took the opportunity to support the trainees and facilitated a session on the various government schemes pertaining to the entrepreneurs. On the 17th days of the training programme, a display of the products was organised on the premises of Bosco Institute. In the exhibition, the trainees displayed the products that were made by them in the 17 days training programme. The audience admired the products, which were crafted so beautifully and some from the audience bought some of the products and also placed orders for some of the products. The trainees were very happy with the feedback from the audience and wish to continue doing the same to strengthen their livelihood.