Women Income Generation Project set up by Ms Dipali Pramanik in Kolkota has 60 members who have mastered the skill of tailoring and embroidery.
Overseas consumers who desire Indian handicrafts praise and admire women like Pramanik who lead the underprivileged women towards self-employment and an honest living.
She also runs an NGO Kolaghat Socio Economic Welfare Society that helps her attract orders for the handicrafts.
Average income for each member in the group is roughly Rs1500 for tailoring and Rs1000 for embroidery.
The project was successful in generating almost Rs18 lakh in 2005, which has been monitored and used carefully for procuring raw materials.
NGO which was earlier funded by the international organization, Oxfam, now does not accept any monetary aid from the outside sources and in turn has encouraged fundings for educational institutions in their respective villages.
Pramanik was invited to recount her life-changing experience at a Kantha exhibition held at Italy last year.
Dilip Kumar Das is the founder of another such organization 'Shanti Handicrafts' with annual turnover of around Rs20 lakh.
Over 30 families in this organization manufacture products like wallets, coloured animal shaped piggy banks, frames, pencil boxes, mirrors and so on that are also exported to many countries including Austria, Spain, Germany and the UK.
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