Please help and make weavers financial independent. Your 1000/- can make a great difference in someone’s life.

How it started:

I met Neeru Baruah a weaver in Gharal Village, she is mother of 3 boys and was surprised to see her life making so comfortable and financial sound. Her husband has a small roadside fruit shop. Earlier it was difficult for maintaining the house and make her sons sending school. I asked her how she used to manage the financial part. Then she explained how she got financial assistance from one Madamji and then by weaving she used to get regular income to run her house. Now her 2 sons managed to pass 8^th standard and have their own vehicle for which down payment was given by their mother. And third son still studying. Then the idea flash in my mind and I started associated with poor weavers. I not only give raw materials for weaving but also give them fixed amount per set and also do marketing sale, which give them complete carefree life.

I have grown up seeing my mom working with village ladies who works for her family and earn money. Did I ever know; those ladies were real entrepreneur who either weaves or makes homemade snacks or have life stocks farm to earn their livelihood.

But when I have grown up and understood the real meaning of entrepreneur, I really want to do something for them. Working in a software company never gave me any inner peace so I planned to quit my job and be associate with helping the people.

What we do:

We have seen farmers, weavers and other people who are the real people for what we get. But in fact the real benefit goes to the middle person who is selling those products. So, I started a new concept, wherein I have designed the process such a way that the weavers get a regular income flowing as a salary without any tension or investment.

We started meeting weavers in the villages and then get them raw material and then they make saris or other attire and I procure those items and keep it and sell it. In this process I invest the amount for raw material and then also market the same from my end both by online and offline means. Online by www.assamsilkshopping.com and offline by retailing it from home and using whatsapp as well.

In return we pay a fix amount for every item they produce. Suppose a weaver can make 10 item (which is reachable target) in a month and I pay 500/- peritem. So she can earn an amount of 5000/- per month. This process brings a financial stability to their life as they will be paid as salary for the work they do, without any tension of investment, marketing or selling.

Till now We been doing it for last 2.5 years and already have associated 5 weavers on regular basis from Gharal Village in Kamrup district near Gopinath Bordoloi Airport. Addition to that we have also associated few weavers in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts . We have also in a discussion with several Self Help group to give assistance and help them in their livelihood . To add on that We are also expanding to other states apart from Assam. We are in discussion with few weavers in Mizoram and Nagaland too. This has given them financial stability and has brought peace in their life.

Now we want to expand this and help more and more weavers in Assam and other states of North East India. But for that we need financial assistance as we have to invest both for raw materials and stock till it is sold out. So we request all to help in this initiative and help more and more weavers to grow and become financial independence. Even a 1000/- you pay can make a difference in this great initiative.

How it works:

We help them to connect weavers to the customer all over world that is reason maximum benefit goes to the weavers and get the appropriate cost for their work.

What do I plan to do with the funds?

We would be targeting those weavers who are poor and have ability to weave but do not have money to bear expenses of looms and other instruments to start. We are buying raw material for them and then also marketing the final products.  

In this amount we can engage 10 weavers.

Looms and other instruments = 10 x 20,000 = 2,00,000

Raw Materials = 10 x 10,000 = 1,00,000

Participating by weavers in Trade fair = 1,00,000 ( Targeting 3 to 4 fair in a year)

Salary to the weavers = 10 x 5000 x 2 = 1,00,000 ( salary is calculated for 2 months for 10 weavers 5000/- per head)

Salary after 2 months can be managed from the sales of the end products.

Projections of the expenses:

Our Team

Daisy Rani Nath is Masters from Bangalore University and ex-employee of Wipro Technologies. She is sole Proprietor of Assam Silk Shopping (www.assamsilkshopping.com) and  it has been selected among three finalist inE-northeast Award in ecommerce category on 2014 which itself is a remarkable achievement.

Pranati Das is a MCA student and helping in the website designing and administration of Assam Silk Shopping site.

Bandita Pegu is responsible for managing the relationship with weavers and taking photographs of the products woven by the weavers so that it can be sold online.

FAQs

1. Now a days government also give assistant to weavers , then why us?
Ans: Yes, government also gives assistance as subsidy where they have to return back certain percentage of the loaned amount. In that case, weavers either divide the subsidy amount among the group members and rest amount return as loan. in that case they donot get regular income. Few others use the amount to weave the products , but they have to sell the products to repay the amount. In that case shop keepers pay them like pennies and they donot get the real benefit for their hardwork. In our case we use the amount for buy looms and raw materials and then sell it from our side. Weavers do not have to take burden of repaying back or selling the products. All they get is regular income for their work whether products are sold or not.


2. Will the fund help the weavers to get regular income? How.

Ans: Yes. As our model helps to reuse the amount again and again. The amount that we will get after selling the products, will be used for buying raw materials and pay the salary to the weavers. Even the profit amount will help to increase the number of weavers in the list from time to time.

Fow any other queries please leave a message here or  mail at assamsilkshopping@gmail.com