Pine needles & leaves have made these Himachal women self-sufficient; here is how

“Every year as summer comes, pine trees in forests all around us start to shed needles and leaves. We gather as much of these as we can and store it at home to use throughout the year,” says Anita Thakur, a resident of Ghalai village in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district.

For the past five years, Anita and 34 other women of the Jyoti Self Help Group (SHG) in villages of the district’s Mahi panchayat have been collecting and using the needles and leaves to make a number of items, such as cutlery, containers, serving trays, home decor pieces and jewellery. “Selling these products helps each of us earn Rs 20,000-30,000 a month,” says Anita, president of the SHG.

Anita initiated the SHG in 2016, as an experiment to use pine needles and leaves.

“I learnt how pine can be used to make household items in a workshop conducted by state officials under the National Rural Livelihood Mission. I thought it was a good idea, because pine is easily available in the state. It is also a rising environmental threat, as fallen, dry needles can act as fuel for forest fires. So I, along with three other women from my village, began making tea coasters, trays and bread containers,” Anita recalls.

“Soon, we started making more products and jewellery, and more women from neighbouring villages like Baghas, Hathu, Malai and Kalhog joined us.”

Then in 2018, the SHG began to commercially market and sell its products in the district through trade fairs like SARAS (Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society) melas, and to traders in Delhi and Chandigarh.

“The first month, I only earned R1,200. As our products became popular, we started earning more,” says Anita.

“People are attracted to our products as they are handmade, durable, non-corrosive and easily washable. They are also not very expensive, and range from Rs 80 to Rs 1,500. We get repeat orders from customers every 15-20 days,” says Sunita Thakur, a member of the SHG.

“My income through the SHG has helped my family move out of the village and build a better life. The recognition has also helped us women gain confidence to seek livelihood opportunities,” adds Indira Thakur, another member.

In order to expand its network, the SHG is conducting training sessions in the region.

“We have trained 800 women so far. As demand for our products increases, we hope to rope in more women to work with us,” says Sunita.

This was first published in the 1-15 May, 2023 print edition of Down To Earth

Subscribe to Daily Newsletter :

SUPPORT US

We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.