Meet the Tribal Woman Using Bamboo Art to Uplift Her Village

Namita Namdev Bhurkood from Tetwali, Maharashtra, grew up thinking her role was limited to being a homemaker. She never imagined she would one day become the breadwinner of her family.

Before learning bamboo craft, Namita spent her days managing household chores and farming. But the income from farming was never enough to support the family comfortably.

“My husband and his brother worked hard in the field, but it was never enough money to sustain us,” Namita shares.

In 2001, a training opportunity in bamboo craft came her way. Despite initial doubts from others, Namita’s mother-in-law supported her wholeheartedly and ensured she could attend the training.

The training was offered by Keshav Srushti, an NGO that empowers tribal women through bamboo crafts to enable sustainable incomes and promote eco-friendly products.

Gaurav Shrivastava, the NGO’s leader, explains, “The initiative’s main goal was always to give alternative livelihood to tribal women.”

During training, Namita was amazed by the variety of items that could be made — kandils, phone holders, rakhis, photo frames, and more.

Initially, the group received small orders, but with persistence and hard work, demand for their products steadily grew.

Today, she juggles multiple roles as a mother, homemaker, bamboo artist, and the president of her village’s women’s self-help group.

The group has now established ‘Vikramgad Bamboo Udyog Producer Company Ltd’, with plans to take online orders.

Namita also led a group of seven women to showcase their products at the G20 Summit in India.

“Never in my dreams had I imagined that I would be in a place like that,” she says, reflecting on her experience representing her village on such a prestigious platform.

So far, Namita has trained over 57 women (as of 2023) in nearby villages, hoping to empower more women to stay in their communities and earn a living through bamboo craft.