Manapad Palm Leaf Society (SIPA, Chennai)

Manapad Women Workers Palm Leaf Industrial Cooperative Society (MWWPICS) was formed in 1957 to provide Market Access support to the women palm leaf weavers, who are mainly working from their homes. In the beginning there were 50 members but at present 300 members are working with the society. Since 1986, the society is affiliated to SIPA (Federation of South India Producer Associations), Chennai. SIPA extends marketing, capacity building and community development support to the Society.

Two producer workshops were organised here dat 5th - 7th October and 8th - 10th October 2009. Twenty women artisans participated in each of the trainings.

The participants were selected from 250 active members in the group (society). Most of the members of the group were from the age group of 40 - 60. The group has provides training and income generation programmes to artisans who are from economically disadvantaged producers.

The senior members of the group are aware of the Fair Trade movement. But they practice the values of Fair Trade especially as MWWPICS is a cooperative society. There is sharing of surplus generated through trade with members of the group in the form of bonus and dividend.

At present the group is marketing majority of its products in the domestic market. Although the group is able to generate considerable amount of domestic market to address the decline in the export market, the group is expecting to get more orders to provide regular work to all the artisans.

The maximum experience for an artisan in the group was 50 years. The minimum experience that an artisan had was 3 years. The specialty of the group was the half of the participants were got training from the society before joining as members. They are form the younger generation, which are expected to take the craft tradition of the area forward

The members of the group have ample experience and expertise in palm-leaf weaving, but still the work is mainly order-oriented. If the groups understanding and awareness about market demand can be increased, they can really come out with more market centric products. At present the excessive rise in the price of palm-leaf is the major challenge being faced by the group. Due to the cutting down of palms, there is scarcity of palm leaf.

The trainees included the former President of the group. The group has systems in place to receive, manage and deliver orders. An able coordinator who has multi-tasking capacity ensures continuance of the activities of the group despite the changes in the governing board as part of annual elections or interventions by the cooperative department of the government. The group has an efficient financial management system.

To contact Manapad Society write to: sipa@vsnl.com or jay@fairtradeforum.org