Crafting Weeds in to profit

Using Water Hyacinth(Eichhornia crassipes) for making Handicraft in Palugaswewa Cascade

Introduction

Women make up 53% of Sri Lanka’s population. Today, as well as in social activism, women make the greatest contribution to the economy. There is a gradual increase in the problems of women in the environment without building a discourse on the serious problems they face socially as well as economically. A study of past stories shows that she was the owner of many discoveries in the family environment as well as in society. She is credited with discovering what is available as food, preserving food, making various uses of environmental resources, and medicines. She invented a variety of household utensils, including a bag of mats and coconut shells. The peculiarity of what makes it clear when analyzing these situations is that all this is an environmentally friendly design, which implies that the woman is simply an environmentally sensitive character who loves the environment. However, after the introduction of the Open Economic Policy after 1977, the Sri Lankan identity began to gradually die out as the authorities at the time gradually eroded localism. Polythene instead of reed bag, plastic mat instead of bag reed mat and eventually the salt was smuggled from the coconut shell. The environment began to deteriorate. Addicted to foods introduced by multinational companies. Due to this change, the Sri Lankan society began to be mechanized. With the  who contributed to the family economy became a victim of foreign aggression.

Following an open economic policy, society had to face climate change as a result of   economies

and political change. It is said that climate change is irreversible in two or three years and will take at least more than a human life time. Humans have to adapt to the changing climate, especially as this situation has a severe impact on agriculture. Women who are the direct victims of the economic downturn they face in the collapse of agriculture must also be economically empowered. For that, alternative economic strategies need to be planned.

This is a study of one of the small women groups who are in Palugaswewa cascade

who transformed nasty weed in to a profitable handicraft. Palugaswewa cascade village irrigation systems have been successfully renewed by the CRIWM project. But sustainable operation management threatened by a plant which was intentionally introduced to Sri Lanka during 1904 as an ornamental aquatic plant well known as water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). But despite the beauty of the plant, it has become a nightmare for natural inland water bodies and habitats as water hyacinth ability to deplete the dissolved oxygen, reducing the solar radiation to flora and fauna and gradually reducing the capacity of the village irrigation systems.

Objective

To control the aquatic weeds and contribute for the economy by diversifying the livelihood of women.

Methodology

Under the Climate Smart Agriculture pragramme in CRIWMP, an initiative made to enhance the resilience of the women farmers through alternative livelihood options. Resource mapping and overall cascade agriculture plan developed for Palugaswewa cascade as the initial step. In the resource mapping process, it was identified status, aquatic weeds types and extent in each village irrigation systems. According to the potential use as material for use in handcrafting women focused discussion with village women in Palugaswewa it was identified that and it has become a greater threat to its sustainability as well. With this possibility, women farmers capacity development plan and livelihood development plan developed with the sector experts.

Result and discussion

Handicraft small scale industry is carried out in Rathmale Grama Niladhari (GN) divisions in Rathmale Divisional Secretariat Division (DSD) in Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka. Women group was inspired to make handicraft using degradable materials and thorough knowledge given by series of technical trainings, business development skills. Village women who are involved in farming activities for more than thirty years and are above fifty in age, are well talented with weaving, embroidery and various kind of handicraft development but lack of ability to develop as a business and the identified gaps were covered with

business development specialists. The aquatic weeds are used as a revenue generation method to cause circular economic values from the residuals. The handicraft products are marketed using social channels, social media and online marketing methods using the brand name of “GO-ECO PRODUCTS”. Their main target group are the tourists in the Habarana area where they can get a niche market for this special product.

Conclusions

Aquatic weeds can use as a source of input material for managing aquatic weed such as Water Hyacinth in inland water fresh water sources. The handicrafts are developed by 5 women group who are currently able to generate 3,000-12,000 Sri Lankan rupees additional income per, month used for education, health of the children and household needs. The women group now able to expand their social networks able to get more acceptance among the family and community as being part of the national.