THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when the pandemic has played spoilsport to local businesses, the Forest Department in association with the Development Commissioner(Handicrafts) is planning to provide training programmes to tribal artisans. Sessions will be provided in making artefacts from bamboo or other value-added products, thereby helping them in sustaining themselves even after the pandemic.An initiative of the forest officials under the Thiruvananthapuram wildlife division covering Neyyar, Peppara and Agasthyavanam Biological Park ranges, it will upgrade skills of artisans from the tribal settlements and also provide access for their products to markets across the country.
The training programme will be held by the Central Handicrafts Commission in collaboration with the Kerala Wildlife and Forest department and an NGO, Green Gold by Bamboo People. “Last year, we had given preliminary training in collaboration with the Bamboo Research Wing of Government Engineering College, Barton Hill, based on which the tribal artisans had made value-added products.
However, many of them didn’t know how to market their products and gradually stopped making handicrafts. The training programme will identify their skills, upgrade them and provide necessary aid to facilitate their children’s education. Training will be provided to people from six settlements in Kottoor,” said Satheeshan N V, deputy warden, Kottoor range.
As part of the initiative, a workshop on making value-added bamboo products will be conducted on September 25 by the Handicrafts Commission. Thirty artisans will be identified and selected from the training programme who will be given more mechanised training for three months.
“After the training process, a ‘National Artisan’ certificate will also be given which will enable the participants to sell their products across the country,” said Sinukumar K C, section forest officer. He also added that the products of the tribal artisans will be made available through the eco shops of the Forest Department. Currently, bamboo and eco-friendly paper crafts are being sold through Vanika, an initiative launched by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department during the lockdown to help forest dwellers sell their agricultural produce.