SUCCESS STORY – JUTE OFFICE FILE FOLDER

With the war against plastic intensifying across the valley, the BMMU Silchar has taken initiative to involve SHG members in producing eco-friendly products with jute materials since jute has become a popular choice against plastic. The concept not only aims at having jute as an effective alternative to plastic but also provides new livelihood opportunity for the SHG members in terms of making jute bag file folder etc.

Mrs. Bijoya Das, a womentrepreneur and a SHG members of Annapurna Self Help Group has also choosen the path to follow her aspirations to become self reliant. Mrs. Bijoya who once attended an entrepreneurship development program from RSETI Silchar learned making products with jute materials their like bag file folder etc. With her modest savings and taking loan from her SHG, she decided to go ahead with the idea of making jute file folder.

This eco friendly jute file folder can be used for corporate, academic, casual, personal and gift purpose. This beautifully handcrafter document file folder comes with A4 size. This amazing & eye catchy document folder has height of 35 centimeters and width of 27.5 centimeters. This file folder for documents has 4 inner pockets, 2 on the left and 2 on the right side. These Pockets can hold a bunch of documents. It also has one pen holder to hold your favorite pen. Outside material is made up from jute and inside material of this folder is made up smooth cloth. It has strong Velcro closure mechanism to hold your documents safely in place. The lady is selling this file folder at rupees 200 each keeping profit margin of 20% per folder. Initially she distributed one sample of her file folder at different offices and institutions. Soon after that many institutions and offices started placing orders with Mrs. Bijoya. After getting order she then presents a design to suit the respective budgets of each organization. If approved, the order is placed.

Considering the fact, if she receive order in bulk quantity it will be not possible for her to supply alone, so now she has started training to her co-members and even SHG members of other blocks to meet the possible bulk orders. In this way, as her own income increases also other women are getting livelihoods opportunity and when the big order arrives it can also be filled in time. In this way, she is becoming self-reliant and making other women self-reliant. Her jute folder is getting very good compliments. Encouraged by this, now Mrs. Bijoya came up with bamboo file folder and also making water hyacinth ladies bags, purses, etc. all of which are turning out well.