00:00 Transforming banana fiber into baskets.
00:05 Women here in the village of Tirupara Kundaram in Madurai, in southern India, are taking
00:10 a material once considered waste and turning it into something they can use.
00:17 Part of the women's cooperative, Selvi started working here after her husband was imprisoned.
00:23 The job offered her and her children a lifeline.
00:26 "After the incident, I was alone at home for a few days, and relatives helped me during
00:35 that time.
00:36 However, they eventually left.
00:38 Day by day, my kids are getting older, and I didn't know what to do.
00:43 In that critical situation, I came to this job."
00:51 Selvi and the women are working at the Madurai International Centre for Art, or MICA.
00:57 They produce over 20 varieties of baskets and more than 50 other types of handicrafts.
01:03 The project aims to empower widows and single women, providing them with work which serves
01:09 as a source of monthly income for them.
01:12 The initiative was founded by Charles.
01:14 He has been leading it for almost six years.
01:17 "When I was a kid, I used to give handmade gifts to my friends.
01:21 I would gather everything from trees, including waste, and create small homes and other items.
01:27 I received positive feedback from my friends.
01:30 It was during that time that I realised nothing from nature is truly waste.
01:34 This realisation led me to consider making things out of natural materials and waste."
01:42 India is the world's largest producer of bananas, growing more than 30 million tonnes
01:46 of the fruit every year.
01:48 In Tamil Nadu, the fourth largest banana growing state, around 10 million tonnes of waste is
01:54 produced.
01:55 The banana waste for the MICA project comes from farmer Setu.
01:59 He cultivates a field of around 2,000 banana trees.
02:03 The growth cycle of the plants spans approximately one year.
02:07 Within 10 months, the trees bear fruit, and after harvesting, they are cut down to make
02:12 way for the next crops.
02:17 "Initially, we used to throw away this waste, but recently we have started using it for
02:23 multiple purposes.
02:25 In particular, we use it as a raw material to make baskets.
02:29 This has been very useful for us."
02:33 The MICA baskets and other products are mostly exported abroad to countries like Vietnam
02:38 and the USA.
02:40 The women make around 8 to 10 baskets every day.
02:43 They are sold for around 2000 rupees, just over 20 euros.
02:47 The women get around 150 rupees or 1 euro 65 per day.
02:53 It might not sound like much, but they say the income brings them comfort, and there
02:58 are also other benefits.
03:02 "Every woman working here faces harassment and trauma issues from their family.
03:09 We strive to give them hope for financial independence and the chance to support their
03:13 children.
03:14 When we come together and work as a team, all our pain seems to fade away."
03:21 The women say nothing from nature is wasted.
03:25 They believe their work benefits the environment, but more importantly, for Selvi, it also brings
03:30 her closer to her dream - to empower women, just like her, to support themselves and their
03:36 families.
03:37 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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