Women earn their living through stone craft in Uttarakhand

Nainital, Nov 18 (ANI): Women belonging to a self-help group here are making a living by learning the craft turning out toys from unpolished stones.

'Pehal', a voluntary organisation here, has taken several women of the self-help group under its wings and guides them in learning modern stone craft.

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

The toys are bought by the organisation and put on sale after giving finishing touches.

The stone toys have topped the sale in fairs organised 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 organisation," said Farooq Hussain, secretary, 'Pehal'.

The cost of these toys ranges from Rupees 20 to100.

Apart from daily wages of Rs 100, the women also get a share in the profit earned by 'Pehal'.

"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.

Taking into note that there is no investment needed in this project, the women appear to be quite satisfied with their manner of living. (ANI)