Highlights:
- The Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship Programme by IIMB conducted an Exhibition on January 25 and 26.
- Products were brought by MGNF fellows from around 40 districts covering six states – Karnataka, Goa, Odisha, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Tripura.
- The exhibition’s objective was to espouse local artistic livelihoods and surface perceptions of urban consumers on products made by SHGs, tribal communities, and others.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship Programme held an exhibition showcasing sustainable handcrafts, toothsome edibles, native-knit clothing, recycled books, etc., at the IIMB Campus on January 25 and 26, 2023, coinciding with Yamini 2023, the Dawn to Dusk Music Festival hosted by IIMB. These products were made in six states – Karnataka, Odisha, Goa, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Tripura, by local women, indigenous communities, cooperative societies, farmer-producing organizations (FPOs), self-help groups (SHGs), and small business owners in the interior parts of these states.
Fellows writing poems for customers based on a conversation
The MGNF Fellows presented several unique products at the exhibition, such as the Thulma blanket, Ringal craft, Tamta craft, Kinnal toys, Sandur Lambani embroidery, Ilkal sarees, Goan khaje, Coconut Shell crafts, Risha & Pachra, bamboo craft, Bichitrapuri sarees, and Kotpad sarees, which garnered much interest. These are produced locally using traditional methods that support the efficient use of natural resources and increase awareness about sustainable management.
Odisha fellows explaining sustainability values of handicrafts
Many of these communities make a living by creating such artistic products. However, due to a lack of marketing and promotion exposure, many unique and worthwhile products are on the verge of extinction, threatening the survival of the artisans. Hence, MGNF Fellows brought their products and conducted the exhibition successfully to give them a higher reach in the urban markets.
Fellows setting up their stalls
IIMB advocates for 73 MGN Fellows, who work closely with their respective districts’ skill and entrepreneurship ecosystems. These fellows create effective strategies, identify gaps and opportunities to boost employment and economic output, and promote rural livelihoods. This effort highlights products from over 40 districts spread across the six states, which may shed light on how urban consumers view goods from various rural community segments.
Customers and fellows interact
About:
Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship Programme:
The Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) is an opportunity for young, dynamic individuals to enhance skill development and promote economic growth. The two-year Fellowship seeks to combine classroom sessions (Academic Module) at host IIMs with an intensive field immersion at the district level (District Immersion) to create credible plans and identify barriers to raising employment and economic output and promoting livelihoods in rural areas. MGNF is a Certificate Programme in Public Policy and Management offered by IIMs. It has been designed at the initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India (GoI), and implemented in collaboration with State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs).
