Women in Ratamata Tole of Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City-16, Dang, have been earning a living by producing traditional duna-tapari (leaf plates and bowls) from saal leaves.
The cottage industry, which was started to make productive use of women’s spare time after completing household chores, has now become a source of income for local women.
Shanti Chaudhary of Ratamata said she earns between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 12,000 a month from producing duna-tapari. She has been engaged in the traditional craft since childhood. In her free time, she works at the industry and also goes into the forest to collect saal leaves.
As demand for duna-tapari increased, Chaudhary brought together other women from the village and established the Sahara Leaf-Plate Cottage Industry in 2012 with the participation of 18 women.
She said income from the industry has helped cover household expenses, including her children’s education.
Although the women were skilled at making the products by hand, they lacked the skills to operate machines.
Chaudhary said they initially brought skilled workers from Kapilvastu to provide training. The industry now has three machines producing duna-tapari.
“Compared with plastic products, duna-tapari made from saal leaves are more environmentally friendly,” she said. “We could do even better if the local government provided support in technology and market management.”
According to industry member Champha Chaudhary, without the duna-tapari industry, women would have had to travel to the market in search of daily wage work to support their families. They can now earn an income while staying in their own village.
The dunas are sold for between Rs. 1.50 and Rs. 5, depending on their size, while taparis cost up to Rs. 5. Customers collect the products directly from the producers, so the women do not have to travel to markets to sell them. Their products are sold in Ghorahi as well as Narayanpur and Tulsipur.
The industry produces between 3,000 and 4,000 duna-tapari a day. Chaudhary said monthly turnover reaches as much as Rs. 140,000 when market demand is strong. However, business has declined somewhat recently as similar industries have increased in villages across the area.
The products made by the women are widely used by chatpate vendors as well as at weddings, bratabandha ceremonies and other religious and social functions. Chaudhary said women earn around Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 8,000 a month when market demand is low, while their monthly income can reach Rs. 15,000 when business is good.
With support from the Micro Enterprise Development Programme, Chaudhary has also begun providing training in duna-tapari production. She travels to different parts of Dang as well as neighbouring districts such as Salyan and Rolpa to train women in the craft.
Chaudhary said the industry was established with the participation of local women while she was serving on the executive committee of the Bagkhor Community Forest Consumer’s Group.
According to her, the industry has not only created employment opportunities for women by enabling them to earn from home using locally available saal leaves, but has also contributed to the productive utilisation of forest resources.
