Ornamenting future with chumki
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
RANGPUR, Nov 8 (BSS): As many as 70 families have achieved economic self- reliance in the Chandkuthi Danga area in Badarganj Upazila town of the district by ornamenting sarees with Chumki (spangle).
During the leisure of work and study, housewives and children of the families often pass busy time by stitching Chumki onto sarees that also brought economic solvency for them.
All of them are craftsmen, who decorate sarees with Chumki. Each craftsman now earns Tk 300 a week by stitching Chumki onto at least one saree. Their monthly additional income is now at least Tk 1,200. And extra income of those who have already achieved efficiency in the field is higher.
Their income goes up if the work pressure increases centring the Eid or Puja. They are now self-reliant by doing this work. The standard of life of Chandkuthi Danga people is changing rapidly side by side with changing the days.
The pioneer of Chumki industry in the area, Chand Mia, is now busy for expansion of the industry. He expressed the hope that he would generate employment for at least 100 more families in one year by creating 100 Chumki artisans.
Son of Abdur Rashid of Chandkuthi Danga area, Chand Mia was passing an inhuman and miserable life with his wife and five daughters and sons just one and a half years back.
Having no alternative, he went to Dhaka one and a half years back for employment and his wheels of lot suddenly opened there. In cooperation of Shahid Mia, the owner of Zamindar Saree House at Mirpur, Chand Mia took training in the beautiful work of stitching Chumki onto common sarees within few days.
After returning to Badarganj from Dhaka, he started work on decorating sarees with Chumki with his wife and daughters. As the matter spreads in the locality, more housewives, children and schoolgirls expressed desire to do this work. With the expansion of the work, the number of Chumki craftsmen has increased to over 50.
Now, 70 artisans are stitching Chumki onto sarees every day under Chand Mia. During the leisure time of the family work, everybody earns Tk 300 a week by ornamenting sarees with Chumki. Besides the distressed and poor people, middle class people have also become self-reliant by doing this work.
To this end, Chand Mia told the news agency that Shahid Mia, the owner of Zamindar saree House at Mirpur in Dhaka, has showed the path of changing the fate by providing training to him.
"After taking training, I returned home and gave training first to my family members. After expansion of the work, many women and children are leading a good life and by decorating sarees with Chumki," he said.
He expressed the hope that the number of his artisans will go up to a great extent in a year. "For this work, no capital or investment are needed," he said.
Chand Mia said Zamindar saree House supplies all necessary inputs including sarees to make sarees attractive and saleable. "The work needs some types of Chumki, Antipipe, Dhania Puti, Tior Puti, Petpipe, Fulzari, Lalzari, Sadazari, Dhol Chumki, Thread, Rogsuta etc," he said.
He said the artisans make eye-catching sarees by stitching Chumki and sell each of the sarees in Dhaka markets at Tk 4,000 to Tk 8,000. But, he said, the saree made by skillful hand is sold at higher prices.
In this regard, Rozina Khatun (14), a class VII student, said side by side with study she is trying to build up a beautiful future through the money she is earning by stitching Chumki onto sarees.
Mollika Begum (28), another Chumki craftswoman said, she is making herself self- reliant through this work.
Like Rozina and Mollika, many women and children of Chandkuthi Danga have become self- reliant by seeing off want and poverty. Now they do not worry for two coarse meals and clothes.
To this end, local college teacher Al Faisal said the Chumki-stitched sarees are the fruits of the labour of local people. Millions of taka is being earned by selling these sarees at higher prices at home and abroad. "It has also created employment for many people," he said.
For expansion of the industry, Faisal suggested public- private initiative and increasing investment.
During the leisure of work and study, housewives and children of the families often pass busy time by stitching Chumki onto sarees that also brought economic solvency for them.
All of them are craftsmen, who decorate sarees with Chumki. Each craftsman now earns Tk 300 a week by stitching Chumki onto at least one saree. Their monthly additional income is now at least Tk 1,200. And extra income of those who have already achieved efficiency in the field is higher.
Their income goes up if the work pressure increases centring the Eid or Puja. They are now self-reliant by doing this work. The standard of life of Chandkuthi Danga people is changing rapidly side by side with changing the days.
The pioneer of Chumki industry in the area, Chand Mia, is now busy for expansion of the industry. He expressed the hope that he would generate employment for at least 100 more families in one year by creating 100 Chumki artisans.
Son of Abdur Rashid of Chandkuthi Danga area, Chand Mia was passing an inhuman and miserable life with his wife and five daughters and sons just one and a half years back.
Having no alternative, he went to Dhaka one and a half years back for employment and his wheels of lot suddenly opened there. In cooperation of Shahid Mia, the owner of Zamindar Saree House at Mirpur, Chand Mia took training in the beautiful work of stitching Chumki onto common sarees within few days.
After returning to Badarganj from Dhaka, he started work on decorating sarees with Chumki with his wife and daughters. As the matter spreads in the locality, more housewives, children and schoolgirls expressed desire to do this work. With the expansion of the work, the number of Chumki craftsmen has increased to over 50.
Now, 70 artisans are stitching Chumki onto sarees every day under Chand Mia. During the leisure time of the family work, everybody earns Tk 300 a week by ornamenting sarees with Chumki. Besides the distressed and poor people, middle class people have also become self-reliant by doing this work.
To this end, Chand Mia told the news agency that Shahid Mia, the owner of Zamindar saree House at Mirpur in Dhaka, has showed the path of changing the fate by providing training to him.
"After taking training, I returned home and gave training first to my family members. After expansion of the work, many women and children are leading a good life and by decorating sarees with Chumki," he said.
He expressed the hope that the number of his artisans will go up to a great extent in a year. "For this work, no capital or investment are needed," he said.
Chand Mia said Zamindar saree House supplies all necessary inputs including sarees to make sarees attractive and saleable. "The work needs some types of Chumki, Antipipe, Dhania Puti, Tior Puti, Petpipe, Fulzari, Lalzari, Sadazari, Dhol Chumki, Thread, Rogsuta etc," he said.
He said the artisans make eye-catching sarees by stitching Chumki and sell each of the sarees in Dhaka markets at Tk 4,000 to Tk 8,000. But, he said, the saree made by skillful hand is sold at higher prices.
In this regard, Rozina Khatun (14), a class VII student, said side by side with study she is trying to build up a beautiful future through the money she is earning by stitching Chumki onto sarees.
Mollika Begum (28), another Chumki craftswoman said, she is making herself self- reliant through this work.
Like Rozina and Mollika, many women and children of Chandkuthi Danga have become self- reliant by seeing off want and poverty. Now they do not worry for two coarse meals and clothes.
To this end, local college teacher Al Faisal said the Chumki-stitched sarees are the fruits of the labour of local people. Millions of taka is being earned by selling these sarees at higher prices at home and abroad. "It has also created employment for many people," he said.
For expansion of the industry, Faisal suggested public- private initiative and increasing investment.