Doormats made from hosiery and knitwear waste have put a group of women from Nagamangalam near Tiruchi on the threshold of economic self-sufficiency.
“We buy 50 kilos of hosiery waste from a supplier in Tiruppur and weave them using handloom machines. Each doormat sells for ₹10-15, based on size; we are able to earn up to ₹3,000 per month,” T. Chinnaponnu, who leads the ‘Inaintha Kaigal Women’s Doormat Producers Group’, told The Hindu.
The success of the self-help group (SHG) is heartening for its 23 members, who were until recently, leading a hand-to-mouth existence.
“We belong to a nomadic tribal community. My father was a ‘boom-boom maattukaaran’ and our family used to live on the streets. I got married at the age of 13 and have been settled in Gandhi Nagar, Nagamangalam for over 20 years. My husband, who passed away recently, used to sell talisman dolls. Our lives changed drastically during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were forced to rely on handouts to survive,” said Ms. Chinnaponnu, 35, who has five children.
Based on their appeal three years ago, Tiruchi-based non-governmental organisation Society for Community Organisation and People’s Education (SCOPE), conducted a 10-day doormat weaving workshop for the women of Gandhi Nagar.
Three looms (two for sighted weavers and one for visually challenged users) were bought from Tiruppur along with 150 kg of textile waste, and set up in the village community hall.
“We were trained for 10 days free of charge by a master weaver provided by SCOPE. We were able to produce 100 doormats within 10 days, which were sold out during the workshop’s valediction ceremony,” said Panchali, one of the group’s most active weavers.
Both women are also called often to train others under the State government’s Vazhndhu Kattuvom programme.
The group’s raw material consignment arrives by road at Panjapur. It is sorted out according to texture, before weaving begins. Around four to five mats can be woven in a day per person.
Mobilising funds through micro-financing, the SHG bought two weaving machines at ₹15,000 per loom.
“We are sending our children to school and saving up for their future. Weaving has given us self-respect, and a goal in life,” said Ms. Panchali.
