Varanasi: This Diwali , festive gift hampers in Varanasi will showcase the skills and hard work of rural women. Members of self-help groups (SHGs) under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) are preparing handmade traditional products and packaging them as attractive gift hampers.
Four self-help groups involving 18 women are preparing the special hampers, each containing 11 traditional and worship-related items. As many as 65 Prerna Mart outlets are operational in Varanasi district, all run by women associated with self-help groups. Deputy Commissioner, Self Employment, Pawan Kumar Singh recently launched the hampers for sale. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Varanasi | Silver Rate in Varanasi | Bank Holidays in Varanasi | Public Holidays in Varanasi | Varanasi AQI | Weather in Varanasi | Petrol Price in Varanasi | Diesel Price in Varanasi | CNG Price in Varanasi | LPG Price in Varanasi Stay updated with the latest Varanasi news.
Self Employment, the platform has emerged as an effective channel for taking women’s products to customers, according to the Deputy Commissioner. District Mission Manager Vikram Singh said the initiative under NRLM was an important step towards women’s empowerment and strengthening the rural economy. Chief development officer Prakhar Kumar Singh said promoting traditional and local products during Diwali would help SHG members earn additional income.
The initiative aims to provide rural women with an additional source of income while giving local and traditional products a stronger market identity. These include clothes for Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh, deity asans, torans, cup incense, Gauri-Ganesh idols made from cow dung, earthen lamps, footprints of Goddess Lakshmi, janeu, mauli or kalawa, cotton wicks made with desi ghee, roli and akshat. Technical support for the initiative is being provided by Lakshmi Vishwakarma of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India. Under her guidance, products made by SHG members are being arranged and packaged in an attractive, market-friendly manner. Prerna Mart is playing a key role in providing a market for these products. There are eight Prerna Mart shops in each of the district’s eight blocks. Products made by SHGs are also available at Akanksha Mart in Vikas Bhawan. Through these outlets, women are selling their products and moving towards economic self-reliance. It was promoting traditional and local products while giving rural women an opportunity to gain recognition for their skills, he added. Choosing locally made products as festive gifts would also bring greater recognition to the hard work of rural women, he added. Download the TOI App.