By Rohan Mukerjee, Eastern India Team, Networks and Alliances Programme Coordinator
Kalajhor is a Santal village located in the forests of Seraikela Block, Seraikela-Kharswan District Jharkhand. Since 2022, Keystone Foundation, represented by Jagabandhu Sanda (Consultant) and Community Resource Person (CRP) Budheswar Mahato, has been working with the community of Kalajhor to promote Agroecology approaches, conservation of forests and natural resources and sustainable livelihoods. In November 2023 two women’s groups of Kalajhor, Sruti Mahila Samity and Murud Baha Mahila Samity, came together to establish a community enterprise around the production of Thonga (paper bags) to help reduce dependence on polybags and sell in local markets. These two groups comprise of 23 women and they received initial training in making Thongas from Sravan Hansda, a young man from Kalajhor who runs a small grocery shop in the village. Through his business, he learned to make Thongas to pack a variety of produce his customers purchase and also sell in local markets.
In the first few months after the establishment, Sravan continued to conduct regular training programs with the women’s groups to teach them how to make and package Thongas for sale. I attended one such training program conducted in Suresh Hansda’s home on 31st January 2024. In order to establish the enterprise through the Eastern India team, project groups were provided 120 kgs of old newspapers, 10 kg of Maida for making gum, 10 steel containers, 10 scissors, and 5 metal scales.
“Aboah iccha manaya ature plastic bang jiju ma: Our goal is to say no to
plastics in our village and only promote thongas (paper bags) to achieve this.“- Kalpana Hansda, Kalajhor Community Enterprise
The making of Thongas involves cutting newspapers to pieces of fixed sizes using scales, scissors and string and folding and sticking them together using gum made from Maida to produce the finished product. 20 paper bags are tied together ready for sale at a rate of Rs. 5 per bundle. The paper bags are sold in local markets like Bansra and Kandra. Since November 2023, onwards the enterprise has been earning around Rs. 6000 per month. The women reported that the peak season for this enterprise is from August to January, when they are not busy with other NTFP based livelihoods like Tendu patta for Beedi making and Mahua flower collection. For Gita Hansda, an elderly woman from Kalajhor, the thonga and sal plate making has been an enjoyable way to pass time as well as to earn additional income.
In addition to the making and sale of Thongas, from the month of January onwards, the women of Kalajhor Community Enterprise started making Sal leaf plates and bowls on a regular basis with each woman earning Rs. 80-100 per day. The women carry out the production and sale of leaf plates and bowls both individually and collectively. While most women regularly make and sell leaf plates individually to generate additional income, whenever the group receives an order for leaf plates for a large event like a marriage, they come together to make and sell the leaf plates.
