Morung Express Feature
Dimapur | January 19
The Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency (NBDA) has had a fruitful journey since its inception in 2005. Its aim to create awareness and understanding of bamboo as “green gold” among farmers, traders, industry and the people in the State, and to utilise its full potential to galvanise the economy of the State has proved very successful. Not only has the State seen tremendous increase of bamboo plantation but NBDA has also been successful in promoting bamboo based industry in the State thereby generating income for hundreds of people.
A home based society like Aitlenden in Tuli under Mokokchung district which was struggling to generate income is now weaving baskets of success. Formed by 10 women members in the year 2008, the society was heading nowhere until the NBDA stepped in. The Agency imparted training in mat and basket weaving to the women and later officially engaged them in the business. The society now takes monthly orders from the Agency and their work is well appreciated by customers.
“Even the chief minister’s wife has ordered from us,” said Amen, one of the founding members proudly. When they are not weaving for customers outside, they take orders from local customers to keep their business going. For every order placed, the women make a profit of about 10 to 15 thousand rupees. With this, the women share the profit while the capital is reinvested in procuring raw products.
“Our financial conditions have improved drastically. Now we don’t have to worry about our children’s school fees and other household expenses,” Amen said. At present, 32 self help groups from across the State are working with the NBDA. Numerous individual craftsmen and entrepreneurs are also engaged with the Agency in making bamboo charcoal and briquettes, incense sticks, bamboo curtains and engineered bamboo products like floor panels, door mats and other bamboo handicrafts.
While the rural people engaged with the bamboo mission are reaping the fruits of their labour, many urban educated youths are also giving a new dimension through their entrepreneurial skills. Medo Putsure, an MBA graduate from London who runs the ‘Bambusa’ restaurant at the Bamboo Resource Centre aims to do more than just serve good food. “The idea is not just to set up a restaurant but to showcase and promote Naga craftsmanship,” Putsure says. True to his words, the entire structure of the restaurant has been made by Naga craftsmen. As he says remarkably: “it is like a chain. Helping locals build each other.”
Like him, Moa Yaden, formerly in the media, now runs the bamboo charcoal unit. “There is a lot of potential in this business. This economical and more environment friendly charcoal is a hit not only in the State but outside as well.” he says. Obviously happy to be associated with NBDA, Yaden has no hassles about investing time and money into his business and even aims to increase production if possible.
Apart from young educated youths like Yaden and Putsure, several designers, photographers, architects are engaged with the bamboo mission, making NBDA a perfect platform for skilled and semi-skilled professionals. What is more unique is the fact that the Agency has managed to give value addition to traditional craftsmanship while also promoting sustainable development of bamboo resources in the State.
