Video: Cooperative turns plants into handicraft products, helping disadvantaged people have jobs and gradually escape poverty. |
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Sedge was once considered an unprofitable weed that caused water flow blockage. However, with the trend of “green living”, sedge plants are becoming the main raw material for handicraft production of many establishments, creating jobs for workers. Notably, the Sedge Handicraft Cooperative of Ms. Truong Thi Han (Tho Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh, Nghe An ) has helped many idle women and disabled people have stable jobs, gradually rising up to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty. |
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In 2017, Ms. Truong Thi Han traveled to sedge weaving villages in the Northern provinces to learn and explore the market with the hope of taking advantage of the sedge resources that were being wasted in her hometown and creating jobs for idle women. |
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After 1 year of learning the trade and researching the output market, Ms. Han returned to her hometown to build a workshop, buy machinery and equipment, establish a cooperative and begin the journey of turning sedge into useful and beautiful handicraft products. |
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"The raw material is sedge, I go to many provinces and cities to buy, from Thanh Hoa to Ha Tinh . Some of the sedge is harvested by local people and then sold. After buying, the sedge is dried in the sun and then chopped into small pieces and stored in a warehouse as raw material," said Ms. Han. The local climate is humid, sedge is very susceptible to mold and damage, so she had to invest in a sealed warehouse and buy a dryer. |
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At first, Ms. Han both made the products herself and taught the craft to unemployed women in the area to have more people to help. From small orders of only a few tens of millions, Ms. Han began to expand her products and markets. Not only that, Ms. Han's products are increasingly popular and are exported to European countries. |
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“Although the income is not high, it is very suitable for rural workers, especially idle women in the countryside. They can do housework and make use of their free time to weave sedge, earning extra income to ensure their lives,” said Ms. Han. |
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| After finding a stable market, Ms. Han returned to the villages in Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Tan Ky districts, etc. to open free classes to teach women and people with disabilities how to weave sedge. After teaching the craft, Ms. Han provided materials, placed orders, and received product sales so that people could feel secure in their production. From there, she helped disadvantaged people have jobs and escape poverty. |
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Ms. Pham Thi Bang - 43 years old (residing in Tho Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) said that on average, she is paid from several tens to several hundred thousand VND for each finished product, depending on the size, design and difficulty of the product. On average, Ms. Bang earns from 4-5 million VND per month. "In the countryside, having such an income is also good, it helps to cover living expenses and send children to school," Ms. Bang said. |
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Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa - Vice President of the Women's Union of Yen Thanh district said that Ms. Han's sedge products have a natural, rustic beauty, so they are very suitable for current consumption trends. This work not only contributes to improving the environment but also helps hundreds of local women have stable jobs, especially for women with disabilities. "From classes in the district, Ms. Han has now taught free vocational training to nearly 500 women across the province, helping them have more jobs and earn extra income in their spare time," Ms. Hoa said. |
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The sedge products are designed to be environmentally friendly, meeting the green consumption trend, so they have a brand and a solid position in the market. However, Ms. Han always tries to innovate the products from design to quality to attract more customers and expand to many other products. |
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To encourage creativity from members, Ms. Han organizes competitions to create new designs and rewards those with beautiful designs. “The market is very competitive, so we have to constantly update beautiful, diverse, durable, and multi-functional designs to attract consumers,” Ms. Han said. |
Source: https://tienphong.vn/day-nghe-mien-phi-cho-phu-nu-nguoi-khuet-tat-de-thoat-ngheo-post1750809.tpo
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