The sky's the limit

A business journey undertaken by Wanduruppa Craftswomen

Women working together in their handicraft business.

The tsunami wiped out more than houses – for many people their means of livelihood was seriously affected.

For Wanduruppa women, basket weaving has long been a traditional craft industry. When Practical Action approached the village under the project – Strengthening Resilience of Tsunami Affected Communities (SRTAC), these women were facing the problem of how to market their products. At the time, they were selling their craft at household level and getting a small income. 

We saw that Wanduruppa handicrafts had a wider market however as the women lived in a key tourism area by the coast. In 2007, Practical Action met with the community to identify the needs and issues around a livelihoods development plan. We discovered that some 20 women, engaged in basket weaving, had already organised themselves into a society called Visithuru Kala Shilpa Sanwardana Samithiya (Handicrafts Development Society). The members were being trained by the Jathika Shilpa Sabhawa (National Crafts Council) before the tsunami hit. So, as part of the process of rebuilding, the handicraft sector was prioritised.

Firstly, we introduced a Business Idea Generation programme so that those women interested in participating could begin to see their craft as a means to generate income. Rural Enterprise Network (REN) Sri Lanka collaborated with Practical Action to conduct a workshop, which analysed the potential market and highlighted business issues. The project then organised a series of skill development programmes for these women weavers, introducing new designs and raw materials such as water hyacinth which were sourced locally.

In April 2008, a production and sales centre was established to address the problem of marketing and production space. Equipment and materials were purchased, including three sewing machines and colours to dye the materials. A processing machine processes raw materials, so that the leaves are prepared for weaving. This process was done manually before and quality standards were often not met. The centre’s product range now includes high quality bags, hats, flower vases, pencil holders, patchwork products and greeting cards. The improved production quality of the handicrafts of the Visithuru Kalashilpa Sanvardana Samitiya has been able to attract marketing opportunities from the Sri Lanka National Design Centre and the Tourist Board.

These 20 determined women have overcome societal attitudes about women’s role within the community to develop and sustain a business. By demonstrating their entrepreneurship, the Waduruppa craftswomen now have the skill-set to mobilise other community groups, which could lead to sub-contracting and additional income streams. Plus, the senior members of the society are keen to pass on their knowledge and train younger members to lead the society and run the business sustainably.