Opening of Training / Production unit at Tihar Jail in collaboration with WIGC, Thoubal

Hemanta Yumnam *

Opening of Training / Production unit at Tihar Jail in collaboration WIGC, Thoubal Manipur :: 7th September 2015.

Opening of Training cum Production unit at Tihar Jail in collaboration with Tihar Jail and WIGC, Thoubal Manipur held on 7th September 2015 at Tihar Jail

Tihar Prisons was opened on 1957, also called Tihar Jail and Tihar Ashram, is a prison complex in India and the largest complex of prisons in South Asia. Run by Department of Delhi Prisons, Government of Delhi, the prison contains nine central prisons, and is one of the two prison complexes in Delhi, along with a district prison at Rohini Prison Complex. It is located in Tihar village, approximately 7 km from Chanakya Puri, to the west of New Delhi, India. The surrounding area is called Hari Nagar.

The prison is styled as a correctional institution. Its main objective is to convert its inmates into ordinary members of society by providing them with useful skills, education, and respect for the law. It aims to improve the inmates' self-esteem and strengthen their desire to improve. To engage, rehabilitate, and reform its inmates, Tihar uses music therapy, which involves music training sessions and concerts.

The prison has its own radio station, run by inmates. There is also a prison industry within the walls, manned wholly by inmates, which bears the brand Tihar. As of December 2012, Tihar jail has 10,533 inmates against the sanctioned capacity of 5,200. Though the figure is down from around 12,000 in 2006.

WIGC was established on 7th August, 1994 base on poverty elevation through skill development based on North East India.

About us!

WIGC (Women’s Income Generation Centre) headed by Indira Oinam, a national and international awards winning social activist, is a cross country organization working for the upliftment of poor and destitute communities in both rural and urban areas in India. Over the last 21 years, we have worked tirelessly to grow and expand our scope of activities in the fields of education, healthcare, livelihood training (including agriculture, handloom and handicrafts, and others), micro-finance and environment so as to reach out and affect as many lives as possible.

Understanding the necessity and effectiveness of sustainable and self-generative methods, WIGC from the very beginning attempted to work through similar mechanisms, avoiding any minutest of loopholes that could hold its efforts back. Started by luminaries from distinct fields, the brains behind WIGC recognized the need for sustainable processes that would ensure continuous social and financial sustenance for our projects and our own operations and administration. Our first step in the direction was in the form of a fundraiser by being one of the nodal agencies through various Govt. assisted development projects such as STEP etc. A huge success, this initiative gave us the much needed encouragement and courage to keep ourselves focused, and moving slow yet steady in our efforts.

Now 21 years down, WIGC proudly looks back and feels humble and at peace knowing that its efforts are reaping benefits for so many across the boundaries. The journey was not all that easy, we stumbled and did face numerous challenges throughout, but with each other’s support, did not let our hopes and aspirations crumble. Tough moments came and a many, but we couldn’t help and take them as our stepping stones, learning and reworking our strategies.

Having run projects across states and in diverse areas of concern, we today stand confident in taking bigger and bolder steps. WIGC will work hand in hand with the Govt. of India and other funding agencies in three well defined mandates of - Agriculture & Rural Development; Employability & Skill Development; Environment; Healthcare in addition to the activities with which it evolved.

1. Working Women’s Hostel with Day Care Centre:

The hostel was established in the year 2000 with the help of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India. It has a capacity of 100 working women with day care facilities for 30 children. This hostel has been providing shelter to the poor working women from far flung areas and who do not have the capacity to afford expenses for traveling between their residential places and the work location. Many of these working women do carry small children who need to look after on their absence. So, far the Organization has benefited around 600 working women through this hostel by providing shelter and care facilities to their young ones. We are very thankful to the concerned ministry for enabling us to carry out such activities and for being the savior to one of the neediest section of the society.

Opening of Training / Production unit at Tihar Jail in collaboration WIGC, Thoubal Manipur :: 7th September 2015.

2. Resource Centre for Cane & Bamboo Crafts:

Resource Centre has been one of our dreams come true project. It is being funded by the Ministry of Textiles Government of India under the National Resource Centre Scheme. The primary objectives of the centre are to enhance socio-economic status of the rural and semi-urban crafts artisans through skill development.

We can say with some satisfaction that about 641 artisans from across the state have been trained under this centre successfully. Some of the major activities/initiatives undertaken by the centre are as follows:
a) Conducts skill development training on 7 (seven) selected Handicrafts items.
b) Maintains reports and detail of designed prototype and conducts design development workshops.
c) Marketing of Handicrafts Products and connecting local, national and international buyers with the artisans.
d) Publication of handicrafts related Books, journals, catalogues etc.
e) Extending Micro-Credit facilities through nationalized banks and other agencies.
f) Design consultation and technology application training programme.
g) Provisions of raw material in reasonable price for the handicrafts artisans.
h) Bringing the state/national level awardees (Handicrafts & Handlooms) under common platform and creating the opportunity to discuss the areas of development.

3. Children Home for Girls:

Children Home for Girls with 50 bedded capacities was established with the help of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India through the Social Welfare Department, Government of Manipur. The objectives of running this home are to provide parental guidance to the destitute girl children irrespective of caste, colour, religion and faith including those who lost their parent/parents, to provide education and other livelihood supports. The Home is adopting 50 girl children from various part of the state.

4. Vocational and Skill Development training Programmes:

WIGC, as envisage in its objectives, has been conducting Skill Development training in selected Handicrafts such as:
I. Kouna Crafts
II. Chumthang Crafts
III. Jewellery Crafts
IV. Wood Crafts
V. Cane & Bamboo
VI. Shingnang
VII. Soft Stone etc.

5. Running Shwadhar Home for Destitute Women:

This is the home to the 50 destitute women who are the victims of unfortunate at WIGC Bishnupur Centre. It was established with the help of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. It is not only a home to these poor unfortunate women but also provides vocational training as well as livelihood.

6. Leadership Training Program for Minority Women:

Under the ages of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India, WIGC under the leadership Ms. Indira Oinam, founder Secretary, conducted the programme at 9 (nine) different villages in Churachandpur District, Manipur. The training programme was attended by 225 women from these villages and benefited through the contents of the training programme.

7. Working Children Program:

This programme is being run with the help of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India at its Chandel Centre. The objectives of this program are to abolish child labour and provide education to the victims in addition to other livelihood mechanisms. These children are mainly parentless or children of single parents and work as a bonded labour under various un-organized sectors with or without salary. Under the strict supervision of Ms. Indira Oinam, Secretary WIGC, has benefited more than 100 children under this programme.

8. Design and Skill Development Training:

The 6 (six) months training programme was conducted with the help of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. This training programme was aimed to improvise skill set of the poor rural artisans and raise their earning capabilities through the inclusion of technology. In addition, bringing micro credit facilities through nationalized banks and other agencies at their doorsteps could help expand their income activities. 300 artisans were benefited from this programme.

9. Activities conducted by the Organization for the upliftment of minority women such as muslim/SC/ST:

Kouna is one of the natural fibres use by the handicrafts artisans to make varieties of products ranging from mat, murah, slippers, and many other items. Favourably this natural fibre is abundantly available in and around the state of Manipur. WIGC, under the active leadership of Ms. Indira Oinam, is one of the pioneer organizations that is actively working for the promotion and development of this sector of handicrafts.

WIGC, as envisage on its memorandum, is a secular non-profit making organisation. Our organization never turns back when its attention is being required irrespective of caste, colour, faith or religion. We work on the principle that every person should get equal opportunity and to avail this opportunity is ones birth right.

The research and development work on the Kouna crafts was first undertaken at WIGC in the year 2001 from its own funding. A detailed report on the findings was submitted to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India for reviewing further. Our mission accomplished, the concerned ministry was pleased to see the report and sanctioned 2 (STEP) projects consecutively so that we could continue our exploration while implementing the findings to train the poor rural and sub urban craftswomen. The above two projects had benefited more than 1300 needy women.

The first phase of training programme was conducted at Lilong A/C which had benefited only 3 muslim craftswomen. Though the number was less, we were able to convey the underlying message of this programme within a short period of time. Thus, the second phase training programme was conducted successfully with the help from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India and attended by more than 800 women from across Thoubal District. Through this programme, our organization also helped connect the craftsmen with the prospective buyers of their products and connected them with micro-credit agencies. Also the provision of health/life insurance was availed.

Above all, Smt. Fariya Khatun and five other Master Craftswomen were recognised for their commendable works from these programmes and conferred with Lady Governor Award in the Year 2011 by Honourable Minister Shrimati Renuka Chaudhury.

Since then, the Organization has been conducting skill development training programmes especially for the minority women such as Muslim, ST/SC and OBC from time to time. Considering the economic and social status of these craftsmen, initiatives taken up by the organization have been directly or indirectly helping them achieve their economic objectives and give more confidence on Kouna craft for being adopted as a reliable economic activity. This activities help improved their earning capabilities consequently accelerating their socio-economic status.

10. Initiative to Set Up a Common Marketing Platform for the artisans:

Manipur has a total number of around 3 lakh artisans enrolled under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. The indigenous products produce by these artisans are highly demanded all over the world. However, due to the lack of a regularised marketing platform they are unable to access the outside market other than their local market. Since the inception of the Organisation WIGC has been taking the active role of marketing these products through promotion at various state as well as national level trade fairs or exhibitions sponsored by EPCH, NEDFI, Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of WCD and many other agencies or buying the products directly from them.

11. Agri/Eco Tourism:

Manipur being a hilly state has a huge potential of developing Agricultural Tourism. WIGC, with the help of local communities, has started commercial plantation of selected varieties of plants and other medicinal plants in two different areas since 2006. The project is being funded by the Organization so far. Two project areas have been selected at Thoubal Khunou and the Limshamlok Village as the village authorities have permitted to use the agricultural lands of around 500 acres for this purpose without any intervention.

Currently, plantations are being made for the following items:
i. Banana
ii. Bamboo
iii. Uningthou
iv. Wang
v. Usai
vi. Ginger
vii. Turmeric (Lakadon) and many others.

In addition, we have indentified prospective sectors which can go hand in hand with our plantation project and to attract tourists in the state. Mention may be made of Healthcare Sector, highly equipped modern Resource & Development Centre and Cultural Heritage Centre where we can showcase the rich culture of the state under one roof.