For the first time in India, a company has been set up with the sole objective of supporting differently-abled artisans, by differently abled persons. Handicrops Divyanga Impex, which was formed in Palakkad recently, has eight directors, of which five are wheelchair-bound.
“It is an organisation run by the differently abled with the help of the public to encourage self-employment. It will assist people with disabilities and their families, individually or in groups. It will help them access skill development programmes, and financial and material resources,” said Lekha S. Kumar, a member of the company’s social media supporters group.
K. Ranjini of Kilimanoor in Thiruvananthapuram is one of the company’s beneficiaries. Now in her late thirties, she has been bed-ridden for years due to spinal muscular atrophy. A talented water colour artist, she is now happy that her hobby of making paper pens will get the backing of a public limited company. The pens she makes lying in bed will be sold across Kerala.
“I now feel that making paper pens could become a permanent source of income that could help me support my family. It will no longer remain just a hobby. These pens also help the environment as they are a better alternative to the non-biodegradable plastic pens,” Ranjini says.
Over 100 members
Handicrops already has more than a hundred members like Ranjini, most of whom work from home, making paper pens, LED bulbs, paper bags, umbrellas, handmade soaps, jewellery, and other handicrafts. The company plans to make devices such as electric wheelchairs, and efforts are on to enrol more people into its fold.
According to the office-bearers, anyone who cares for the welfare of the differently abled can take shares in the company, with the minimum investment being ₹10,000, while the ceiling is ₹5 lakh.
For instance, Ashraf Haneefa from Alappuzha had always been sympathetic to the cause. He has embarked on a mission to teach 100 physically challenged individuals how to make cloth bags. On Wednesday, he issued an appeal on social media asking friends to donate used cotton saris and churidars for use in his training programme.
Handicrops plans to develop its own brands. Its focus now is on paper pens and umbrellas, having received orders for 50,000 pens. Half a dozen units in Kasaragod, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram, owned by differently abled individuals, will be brought under the company banner.
