Kathmandu: Two months ago, Jugrani Chaudhary of Tikapur municipality-5 was struggling to make ends meet. Despite being occupied with household duties all day, her family remained dissatisfied with her contributions.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Jugrani’s life took a transformative turn after she participated in a 25-day training program facilitated by the Dhansinghpur Ekata Samaj Saving and Credit Cooperative. This initiative provided her and other women with a power loom at a 50 percent grant, alongside the training. Now, Jugrani spends her days weaving raw cloth from banana fiber, a venture she never imagined possible. “Earlier, I did not believe that cloth was also made from banana plant. Now, I am weaving raw cloth from banana fibre. I also feel independent,” she shared.
The cooperative offered free training to eight women members, who are now self-reliant and excited about their newfound employment. Jugrani emphasized, “There will be no problem to earn money if we have skill. Society’s perspective towards us has also changed.”
Kamala Saud, another participant from the same area, echoed these sentiments, noting that her days are now filled with productive work, leaving little time for idleness. The women’s raw cloth is exported to Kathmandu, where the Allo Fiber market purchases it at Rs 300 per meter.
Sakuntala Chaudhary of Tikapur municipality-7 highlighted the high demand for their banana fiber cloth, expressing the need for modern looms to increase production. The cooperative has been pivotal in facilitating the export of the cloth, and its manager, Ramkrishna Chaudhary, acknowledged the challenge in meeting the market demand for yarn. “We have not yet had to pay for the raw material needed for banana fibre yarn. The produced yarn has not been able to meet the market demand,” he stated.
Women in the region are hopeful for government support to acquire modern machinery and further skills, which would enable them to produce additional materials from the cloth. Kamala Kumari Chaudhary expressed enthusiasm for creating products such as hats, bags, slippers, shoes, and quilts from banana fabric. While the local government invests significantly in training women in sewing and tailoring annually, Chaudhary emphasized the need for investments that utilize local raw materials, thus promoting self-reliance.
Tikapur’s extensive banana cultivation, spanning over a thousand hectares, provides a foundation for self-reliance. By leveraging the banana plant’s discarded parts, particularly the stem, the community can produce valuable fabric. Chaudhary urged local authorities to extend similar training to more women, fostering job creation and economic independence.