“Experience Hope-loom”

Preface

The peoples living in the villages near forest areas are mainly depend on surrounding natural resources
for their survival and daily needs. These forests also act as safety nets in time of crisis. Today the forests
are facing acute biotic pressure and losing sustainability in production. Government and many
development agencies have initiated actions to wear away these forest fringe communities from their
sole dependence on forests by providing alternate livelihood options. These people are being
incentivized by way of skill up-gradation and business orientation. Their improved alternate livelihoods
will create a win-win situation for forests and dependent communities. There is an abundant scope for
promoting livelihoods in those areas like weaving, textile and bamboo handicrafts.

Handloom to Hope-loom

Handloom is ubiquitous in Assam. Each and every household possesses a loom on which the women
members of the household weave clothes. The area has a diverse demography with various
communities –Assamese, Bodos, Karbis, Misings, Rabhas, to name a few – and this is reflected in the
diversity of the textiles woven. Assam is known for its mekhela chadors, gamochas, aronais, dokhnas
etc.
Despite the overwhelming presence of handloom, it is not used as a source of income, with clothes
mainly being woven only for personal or the family’s consumptions. The reasons for this are:

 Lack of awareness about the potential of using handloom as a source of income

 Lack of resources among the weavers
 Oversupply and seasonal demand in the local market
 No market linkages with nearby towns and cities

Project Project Stage Details Current

Stage Status
Sequence
1 Identify a group of weavers who are eager and enthusiastic for the Done
first pilot
2 Conduct motivation, awareness workshops and skill training for this Done
group
3 Identify skill and machinery requirements Done
4 Set up a community weaving cum production center Done
5 Link up with Shops/Portals/Buying Houses as market for Products In Progress
6 Replicate this model with another group of weavers Next Stage
7 Promote a Private Limited Company Final Stage
Role of M/s AVA and AVA Foundation in Promoting “AVA Creations”

With one of the prime objectives of enhancing livelihoods, conserving forests and ushering in
development of forest dependent communities, in August, 2017, M/s AVA has started the Community
Weaving cum Production Center near Deepor Beel Bird Sanctuary and with the help of AVA Foundation,
25 women weavers were trained in the Community Center to enhance their traditional skills and to
imbibe themselves with modern technologies. The products made by these women are being sold in the
brand name of “AVA Creations.”

AVA Foundation help the weavers with Skill Mapping and Capacity Building, whereas M/s AVA supports
them in terms of Infrastructure, Working Capital, Marketing and Branding. With every product sold by
M/s AVA, a portion of profit directly goes to AVA Foundation, which helps the foundation to conduct
development activities for the weavers associated with AVA Creations.

The diagram below represents the play of M/s AVA and AVA Foundation in promoting the Private
Limited Entity in 2020.
Management

Anu Mandal
Head – Product Development, M/s AVA &
Chairperson – AVA Foundation

A commerce graduate and a dynamic professional with more than 12 years’ of

experience in Fashion Industry, Brand Activation, Event & Sports
Management, Marketing and Business Development in diverse industries of
North Eastern Region. She has undergone a certificate course in Textile
Designing from Weavers Service Center, Guwahati and an Entrepreneurship
Development Programme by Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Guwahati.
She is also associated with AVA Foundation as Chairperson, a society to
promote indigenous crafts of North Eastern Region.

Arup Kumar Baishya

Proprietor, M/s AVA &
Executive Director - AVA Foundation

A science graduate and a professional with a rich corporate career spanning

over a decades in Autonomous Apex Bodies set up by Government, Public
Private Partnership Projects , NGO & Micro finance Institutions in North East
India. He belongs to a weavers family from Sualkuchi and has undergone
Certificate course in Fashion & Clothing from National Institute of Fashion
Technology (NIFT), Kolkata and an Entrepreneurship Awareness Camp by
Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship. He is associated with AVA Foundation as
Executive Director, a society for promotion, development & marketing of
indigenous crafts of North Eastern Region.
Experience Hope-Loom @AVA Creations

(Handloom fabrics brand promoted by M/s AVA in association with AVA Foundation)

M/s AVA,
(Udyog Aadhaar No. AS03D0000473)
(GST No: 18AKIPB6616R1ZN)

AVA Foundation
(Regd. No: RS/KAM (M)/ 263/P/ 180 of 2017-18)
(NGO Darpan Unique ID: AS/2017/0163290)

Majpara, Matia Hills,

Near Anan Ingti L.P. School, Kahikuchi, Azara
Guwahati, Assam, Pin : 781 017, India
E-mail: ava.guwahati@gmail.com
Contact No: 098640-13265, 092070-55625
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