Women at the Rural Development Movement's banana
fibre workship making tablemats
The beautiful bag and tablemat ranges are made by women living in a very poor, rural area of Tamil Nadu, South India. This craft project is one part of a Rural Development Movement; a locally inspired project bringing better housing, education, health and employment opportunities to the poorest people in this region.
The women have received training from the project and now enjoy using their skills to make a living. Every piece is made with great pride using banana fibre, a plentiful waste product in the area, and dyes from the local market.
These are the first products to be exported from this project, and the money not only transforms the lives of the craftspeople but also of all those touched by the work of the Rural Development Movement.
The money goes towards children's nurseries, a primary health care unit, a housing fund, water supply, providing training in basketware, sewing, typing and printing, a loan scheme to help people set up in business, and an adult education scheme teaching those who never had the chance to go to school to read and write.
