Andhra Pradesh: 24-yr-old inspires women to become ‘atmanirbhar’

Engineering graduate uses Facebook and Instagram to market her crafts 
G Kamakshi, a engineering graduate,  gives craft training to rural women to make them self reliant | Express
G Kamakshi, a engineering graduate,  gives craft training to rural women to make them self reliant | Express

VIJAYAWADA: 24-year-old engineering graduate from Seetharampuram of Bapulapadu mandal in Krishna district is showing the way for rural women to become self-reliant. G Kamakshi, who has been interested in paper crafts for most of her life, now has Facebook and Instagram accounts to market her products. She did not stop there and started training her close associates and rural women to become self-sustainable.

She now supplies customised colourful jhumkas to intricately crafted peacock designs, gifts, greeting cards made out of paper and thread bangles to her customers during special occasions. During her school and college days, Kamakshi learnt the craft through browsing on various social media platforms. She believes that it is because of her parents that she developed a liking for the paper craft. Kamakshi completed her engineering in ECE in Vijayawada in 2018. Soon after completion of her education, Kamakshi got a software job at TCS-Guwahati during an off campus drive held in 2018. However, her father G Srinivasa Rao, a senior sales officer at cement company and mother Anuradha encouraged their daughter towards her interest.

“Having a habit of participating in service activities from the school and college days, even after finishing my college education, I preferred to continue my passion towards the paper craft through imparting the skills among the rural women to make them self-sustainable,” Kamakshi says.
She joined as conservation secretary at Telaprolu secretariat on October 2. Now, her position has been upgraded to mahila police.

In her spare time, while performing her duties, she has been assisting women in her hometown for their economic empowerment. With the changing modern trends and the emphasis on beauty and makeup, Kamakshi along with her team is making items that suit their interest. Apart from that, Kamakshi also takes part in bridal costume designing. She organises training programmes for school students and women from marginal sections. She also creates awareness on handicrafts and self-employment along with  sensitisation and counselling on the complaints she receives as a police personnel.

Kamakshi has been receiving orders for wedding and birthday gifts. “Right now, we are supplying the goods to various shops in Vijayawada. With many women preferring to buy jewellery and designer bridal works, we are making use of Facebook and Instagram to receive orders online. We wish to promote our works on social media platforms,” Kamakshi said. 

Sk Haseena, 26, one among those learning craft and art works from Kamakshi told TNIE that she has completed her intermediate education in Urdu medium. ‘’I have tried for employment with my qualification to support my husband in maintaining the family. Due to lack of job opportunities in and around the village, I came to know about Kamakshi’’, she said. Haseena added that Kamakshi offers free of cost training to the interested women and shares the earnings after selling the craft items to the customers through online and offline mode.  FaceBook page- Anu Srinu Collections and Instagram- KamakshiGudikandula@1996
 

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The New Indian Express
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