Thrikkaipetta village in Wayanad, Kerala discovered the bamboo industry about 23 years ago. Yet, in this short time it has achieved skilled know-how in the field. In fact, the expertise—encouraged by the Uravu Indigenous Science and Technology Study Centre, which was started in 1996—earned the village the tag of ‘heritage village of bamboo’ from the state government last year. Uravu began with just eight families engaged in the bamboo industry.
Today, it provides livelihood to countless people besides having emerged as an important knowledge centre. Recently, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Uravu lent its expertise by training 15 people in Sri Lanka to help develop the bamboo industry there.
“The founders of Uravu mostly came from outside Wayanad. Wayanad was chosen as it is one of the most backward districts of Kerala with a significant tribal population. Sustainability coupled with income generation for the local people was the primary motive. Hence, the traditional and indigenous knowledge systems came into focus. Bamboo provided the answer,” says 29-year-old Tony Paul, the CEO of Uravu. The organisation works as a collective, a place for people to come, go, explore while at the same time, earn, he adds. “Alongside, self-help groups were established with majority of the stakeholders being women.”
But it was a difficult start for the organisation. Though, independent units were set up, selling of products and procuring raw material remained uphill tasks. Uravu was forced to provide forward and backward linkages in terms of raw material assurance, further techniques which could improve productivity as well as providing market assurance. And this could not be sustained for long without incurring a loss. There were debates about the organisation continuing. Moreover, those who could stand independently moved out with the ones who were dependent on Uravu having to be looked after.
Tony’s wife Henna, who was interning at Uravu in 2015, studied the management structure and work model and predicted a crisis point within the next two years, which is what happened. In 2017, her husband Tony was roped in to turn things around for the organisation.
Signifying the growth curve today are six major verticals attached to Uravu. “We have a bamboo nursery and plantation which is the largest in India in terms of diversity, we have 50 bamboo species commercially available. With a view to pushing bamboo as a lifestyle alternative, we have 400 products in bamboo,” says Tony. Eco-tourism is another area of growth which falls under the sister concern Uravu Eco Links, a for-profit organisation, he adds.
Fulfilling its role as a knowledge centre, Uravu also conducts training and workshops. But what infuses Tony with quiet pride is the bamboo art gallery within the Uravu premises. “It is arguably the only bamboo art gallery in the nation,” he says, adding, “Our primary aim now is to make Uravu a centre of excellence.”