Coverage: Kakdwip & Namkhana blocks, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal
Duration: 2022 - 2024
Beneficiaries: 120 women across 15 SHGs
Objective: To turn invasive water hyacinth into a source of income for coastal women by promoting craft-based microenterprises with eco-friendly, marketable products
Project Overview
Transforming an environmental nuisance into an economic asset, SEED equipped women with skills to craft utility products from invasive water hyacinth. Training programs covered weaving, processing, and product finishing. The initiative not only generated income at low input costs but also improved the health of aquatic ecosystems. Products created were linked to local exhibitions and green marketplaces, increasing rural artisans visibility and earnings.
Impact So Far
• Trained women in processing and crafting home décor items like lampshades, baskets, and photo frames.
• Enabled income generation from home with minimal input costs.
• Strengthened ecological balance by removing invasive water weeds from canals and ponds.
• Connected rural artisans to urban exhibitions and eco-craft markets, enhancing livelihood visibility.