Securing a Better Future with Coir Rope

Posted: 12 December 2006

by Marie Banu Jawahar

The Dalit communities of India's Nagapattinam district typically work as fish vendors or agricultural wage laborers, and their livelihoods were badly affected by the tsunami. But most did not live close to the sea and did not lose physical assets, so they were unable to claim government compensation.

Thanks to help from an Oxfam partner, the Rural Community Development Centre (RCDC), two groups of Dalit women are now able to make a decent living. In 2005, RCDC launched a coir-making project in the villages of Mahendrapalli and Subburayapuram. RCDC has organized similar projects in the past, and it was experienced in procuring raw materials, building links with wholesale markets, and providing technical support.

Seventy-nine women were organized into self-help groups, which together form the Suzhal Women’s Federation. Each group received a coir-making machine and was taught how to make coir rope from coconut fiber. Each member received a nominal stipend during the three-month training period.

The Federation has been provided with vehicles to transport the finished coir products to the local market. Three committees handle sales, marketing, and production.

“At first, we were apprehensive,” explains Vasugi, a member of the sales committee. “We were too shy to speak to the shopkeepers. Now, we are confident. We tell them that these ropes are made by tsunami-affected women and are of good quality. We have made good links with local vendors and have enough orders.”

Before the project, employment was irregular, seasonal, and at the whim of landowners and boat owners. When they did work, the women earned an average of 30 rupees ($0.65) a day. Today, each household has a secure annual income of 15,600 rupees (US$350).

The women have also become involved in making improvements to their community. For example, they have brought an end to illicit liquor brewing in their villages, and have successfully lobbied the district administration for better local road and transport facilities.

The Federation is now looking to develop the business further. They are building relationships with government departments, banks, and insurance companies, and exploring links with non-governmental organizations and other like-minded Dalit movements.

December 2006