Trainees attend workshop on lac bangles in Ranchi on Monday. Pictures by Manik Bose

Ranchi, May 19: Twenty-five-year-old homemaker Hema Kumari has found a whole new meaning in life.

She is picking up the nuances of lac bangle making, which would give her financial independence.

“The designer lac bangles have a huge demand on all occasions, be it marriage or any another function. So I decided to take up the training and sell them at cosmetic stores,” said Hema Kumari.

After finishing their daily household chores, Hema Kumari and 20 other Scheduled Tribe women are learning the art from 10 artisans from Rajasthan.

These artisans have been especially flown in from Jaipur to impart training to STs in lac bangle making.

The programme is part of a 15-day workshop being held at Tribal Research Institute, Morabadi.

Jharkhand State Scheduled Tribes Sahkarita Vikas Nigam along with an NGO, Manav Seva Ashram, is organising the programme.

The NGO secretary, Chabhar Mal, said the trainees are from Kokar, Bariatu and Ratu Road among other places. “Our main aim of organising the training is to engage the homemakers in some creative work after they finish daily household chores.”

Mal said that these lac bangles never go out of fashion. “It is highly valued in the market and youngsters flaunt them in colleges and on fashion ramps. It has become a style statement,” the NGO secretary said.

If the women are not able to sell the bangles, the NGO would purchase them, Mal added.

Another housewife, Babita Kumari, said: “After learning to make lac bangles I would open a small shop outside my house and employ women.”

For the 10 artisan-teachers from Jaipur, it is a wonderful feeling.

Muhammad Akhtar, an artisan, said: “We are really proud that these women are so keen on learning the art of bangle making.”

Another artisan, Muhammad Sohail, said: “These bangles are also exported to foreign countries. Foreigners visiting Jaipur also take these bangles home, which increase their popularity and demand.”