A multipurpose cooperative society from Mawsynram in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya was awarded by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday.
The society was awarded for creating opportunities and generating sustainable income for the villages by making use of the locally available resources.
The Cm conferred the Meghalaya-Entrepreneurship Recognition Award (MEG-ERA) for the month of September to the Kenbah-Kenmynsaw Handicraft Multipurpose Cooperative Society during a short felicitation programme in the Chief Minister’s chamber at Main Secretariat.
The Kenbah-Kenmynsaw Handicraft Multipurpose Cooperative Society is a society with members from the two adjacent villages of Kenbah and Kenmynsaw in Mawsynram C&RD Block of East Khasi Hills district.
The society was started in 2007 with 22 members and has been growing ever since.
The society deals in manufacturing and production of cane and bamboo handicraft products.
The objective of the society was to create opportunity and a sustainable income generating enterprise for the villages by making use of the locally available resources (which is bamboo) to develop the economy of the villages.
Currently, there are 200 villagers employed as artisans under the cooperative society.
These artisans manufacture handicraft products for the cooperative and also for themselves which they market on their own or sell them to the society.
The society started with an investment of just Rs 50,000 which has now increased to Rs 3,53,640 annually with each employee of the society earning a minimum income of Rs. 4,000 monthly.
The members of the society participated at IITF New Delhi in 2016 and have undergone many trainings and exposure visits to enhance their skills and abilities.
These trainings and trips were within the State as well as other States of the country.
The society has also received trainings and collaborated with IIT, Guwahati in terms of enhancing their designs and their efficiency through better tools and equipment.
Some of the members of the society have also received individual awards for their works on handicrafts and one of them is Srul Kynter of Kenmynsaw village.
She has received a few districts and state level awards. She is also the master trainer of this livelihood activity who often gives training on handicraft within the village and other villages in the State.