Looking Beyond
In its endeavor for social transformation, Impulse NGO Network has committed to strengthening the social and economic status of the people of Meghalaya. To achieve such a goal would require involving itself into meaningful areas that would enable this transformation. One of the thrust areas that have been part of a larger vision of the organization was towards economic development that would enable a fruitful, self-reliant and sustainable means of living. The organization’s involvement in handicrafts ten years ago was the first step towards achieving this vision. In its involvement with the CFC, this vision has been strengthened further by integrating another important aspect of handicrafts, that of production (design& technology) along with distribution and consumption (marketing) which has been a strong entry point of INGON’s initiative in its craft developmental efforts. The organization now foresees a more integrated approach in its facilitating role as a mother NGO to help craft clusters become independent, self-sustaining and self-reliant movements. The CFC can be seen as becoming the focal point of not only one area of crafts but also an integrated area of several crafts coming together to promote and instill growth in the socioeconomic development of the region.
The abundance of bamboo and bamboo crafts in Meghalaya is
believed to be the outcome of the CFC in Shillong and it is imperative that
the CFC becomes the hub for further development of bamboo. To achieve this,
the CFC would have to be a center that not only provides for design
development of bamboo but also takes into consideration other aspects of the
craft as well. It is felt that a lot more need to be done and can be done
that would benefit bamboo artisans of the State. The larger picture would be
to envision the center as a place where artisans not only receive inputs
ranging from design to product development and marketing but also a place
that ensures their livelihood. From the experience of the two-month
programme, the prototypes that were developed had already been specified;
meaning a market had already been identified. This proved to be an advantage
as it provided a focused direction to the training programme.
Such specification leads to the standardization of the material as well as
of the products, which makes it easier to control the quality of the product
and thus provide for speed in production and consequently more volume while
reducing wastage and rejection.
Suggested Future Approach
* Configuration of all the machinery and tools: advantages and disadvantages
(production capacity, standardization, modifications, etc…), how to put them
into effective use, what are the extra requirements needed to achieve the
effectiveness?
A technical workshop can be implemented which deals with the effectiveness of the machinery and tools. Would require experts who have experience with the machines and tools and expert craftspersons who are
mastercraftsmen or very highly skilled artisans.* Value
addition: working with a combination of different materialslike textile,
pottery and metal to add more value to bamboo products at the same time
opening an avenue for another traditional craft to develop itself .
A traditional pottery cluster has been identified in the Jaintia hills which
could be integrated into the CFC. The CFC would then true to its name become
a centre of handicraft activity.
* Strengthening the proposed Federation: A more
complete approach in the structure of training
programmes, which not only deals with design and
technology but other social activities like management
and environmental exposures, to ensure that when the
federation is formed it would be a complete, steadfast
and progressive movement that would set an example
for future federations to come.
The suggestions above are existent and would require time and assistance to
be able to be implemented in the scale that they have been envisioned. The
First two suggestions are more immediate meaning there is scope for
immediate implementation.
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