Women earning a living through stone craft in Nainital

Nainital (Uttarakhand), Nov 17(ANI): Women belonging to a self-help group in Nainital are learning the craft of making toys out of unpolished stones and in the process making a decent livelihood.

'Pehal', a voluntary organization working in Nainital, has taken several women of the self-help group under its wings and is training them in modern stone craft.

The women collect stones from the riverbanks and give them a variety of shapes like animals, bird and miniature deities.

The organization buys the toys and after giving them finishing touches puts them on sale.

The stone toys sell like hot cakes in various fairs organized at various places, including New Delhi and Chandigarh.

"We take these toys to several state fairs to sell. Also, these women get a share in the profit earned by the organization," said Farooq Hussain, secretary of 'Pehal'.

The price of these toys ranges from Rs 20 to100, while the women receive a daily wage of Rs. 100. Apart from that, 'Pehal' also gives them a share in the profit earned.

"I got to know about this opportunity through 'Pehal' and has been a part of the project ever since. It has come out to be a good source of livelihood for us," said Manju Devi, a beneficiary of the project.

Considering that there is almost no investment required in this project, the women are quite content with their mode of livelihood. (ANI)