Diya Helps Artisans In West Bengal

    • rohit.david@timesgroup.com
    • Publish Date: Aug 1 2016 5:29PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Aug 1 2016 5:39PM
Diya Helps Artisans In West Bengal

17-year-old Diya Kundu, a student of DPS Vasant Kunj, in Delhi, started a project to help villagers in West Bengal’s Golabari district make a living through their handiwork. She speaks on her initiative.

 

Q You have been a frequent visitor to Golabari village in West Bengal. Can you tell us about that?

My family hails from Golabari, my grandparents lived there. I grew up visiting the village every year, and naturally, became concerned about the problems that were crippling the welfare of the people who were so talented and hard working.

 

Q Tell us about the programme you got selected for?

In May 2015, I was selected for TERI and Tetra Pak’s STEP Leadership Development programme, which entailed promoting environmental and social sustainability. We chose to name the venture Aleeyah, which in Arabic means beauty. The reasons that prompted me to begin Aleeyah are many. The most glaring of them was, naturally, the poverty and exploitation in rural Bengal. A major portion of the population in this village engages itself in making traditional artefacts that are bought at abysmally low prices by corporates from neighbouring towns, and by the community itself.

Q What was your aim?

I wanted to provide villagers, particularly teenagers, with a platform to channel their passion and skill towards projects that would not only showcase their talent but also help them earn a living.

Q Apart from beauty, what does Aleeyah signify?

It is meant to honour multiple manifestations that the initiative seeks to realise, such as those of making social work innovative, reminding a developing India of its rich cultural heritage, and sparking and sustaining a passion of the youth for proactively solving social menaces.

 

Q How has this project changed you?

If there was one thing I learnt it was to never doubt the infinity of possibilities that an examining mind and an invincible will can germinate. When my friends Sharanya Mathur and Eshan Uniyal, who are now managing directors, teacher-in-charge Adita Saxena, a few other students from DPS Vasant Kunj and I started the social business, we had endless worries about the impact, potential and practicality of the proposal. These however, soon got erased once we embarked on the real work. At the age of 16, I feel proud to realise that I tried to uproot social and economic marginalisation in one of the most impoverished areas.I learned that ‘possible’ is a word I should memorise.

 

The project

We give three, one month-long, profitable job terms every year to the severely exploited artisans living in Golabari.

The handicraft produced by them is then displayed for sale.

Three quarters of all earnings are invested into the development of the same marginalised community and about a quarter is kept aside for restocking inventories.

In our operations over the last one year, we have installed LED light bulbs in all houses, repaired leaks in several houses, bought raincoats for farm labourers and provided first-aid kits to several households.

 

Q Did you face any hurdles in your project?

Finances are hard to come by. Plus sponsors doubt whether we will be able to deliver since we are so new in this area.

 

Q What do you plan to do next?

We do look forward to expanding the scale of our operations, establishing an active online consumer base, recruiting more youngsters to help us along the way, and covering a few more villages..

 

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Comments

Bhavana Jaison Atomic Energy Central School No 2

Diya please let us know what we can do to support you .

JANHAVI SAWANT NEW HORIZON-NEW PANVEL

Fabulous work Diya...

Pallavi singh PRESENTATION CONVENT(RED FORT)

Please tell if you need help in any manner i will be happy and proud to be a part of your project and contribute.

Raju kumar Sree Narayana Vidya Bhavan

Diya awesome....

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