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Wheat straw now export earner

Our Correspondent, satkhira
Wheat straw is no more useless. Instead of being used as a cooking fuel, beautiful handicrafts are being produced from it, creating employment for women and earning valuable foreign exchange for the country.
Over 2500 under privileged women who were jobless earlier now earn Tk 150 to 200 a day by making attractive handicrafts. They were trained by a local NGORishilpirun by two Italians-Enzo Falcone and Laura Melano.
The innovative project initiated at Binerpota village in Stakhira Sadar upazila, has achieved remarkable success.
Initially, Rishilpi selected 10 poor women. They were trained by Rishilpi's director Enzo Falcone and Laura.
Widows and helpless women having no access to any kind of loan were given preferences.
Another 28 women were trained 'later. Theymake beautiful handicrafts from wheat straw either at the factory of the NGO or at their houses.
The pictures of Royal Bengal Tiger, spotted deer, peacock, monkey, indigenous birds, greeting cards and other articles depicting culture and scenic beauty of Bangladesh are really attractive. Demand for the products are increasing.
The items are exported to the USA, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and other European countries, Rishilpi assistant director Syed Hasan Mahmud told this correspondent during a visit to the office recently. Last year, they earned about Tk 2 crore in fireign exchange, he said.
Rishilpi official Maniruzzaman Mitul said Arong, Karupalli and Heed Handicrafts in Dhaka are their main buyers. Other buyers also come. Sufia Khatun, 42, of Shalley village said she became helpless with he one year-old son Solaiman when her husband Babar Ali divorced her in 1992. She learnt the craft and earns about Tk 5,000 a month. Her spon goes to school.
Sharifa Khatun, 40, wife of Abdul Mannan of Taltala village in sadar upazila, said, "My three children now go to school which was a dream for me before joining
the project".
Malina Das, 35 a divorced housewife of Shalle village in Sadar upazila said, "I am doing this for the last 10 years. I am better off now with my son Shubha who is now reading in Class eight at Taltala highschool".
Widow Chandana Rani Das of Magura village in Sadar upazila said, the money she gets from the project is the only means for her
survival.
Rishilpi director Enzo Falcone, who is pioneer of the project, said, “It is our satisfaction that we are able to turn distressed rural women into skilled workers. Soon we will raise that number to 75. We are very happy that about 2000 women including some disabled ones are now working here in different trades and maintaining their families/