A speaker at the ARUNIM workshop. File picture

March 26: Joyshree Sarkar, 21, a differently-abled girl, loves painting beautiful pictures. She deftly transfers her thoughts into paper through the medium of varied colours. She is hearing-impaired, but she has never allowed this to mar her creativity in any manner. Though there are many who admire her work, she has not yet found a good market for her paintings here.

Like Joyshree, there are numerous differently-abled individuals in the city who happen to be skilled artisans occupied with making varied handicraft products ranging from candles and handloom goods to cane and wooden products. They have not received the true worth for their productivity so far. There still exists a potential market for these products that is yet to be fully explored.

ARUNIM, a statutory body under the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment, has for the first time attempted to create a profitable market for products created by such differently-abled individuals. This ARUNIM has tried to achieve by organising a workshop on Awareness Raising and Product Assessment in the city today.

The programme was hosted by Sishu Sarathi, a city-based NGO working for the differently-abled.

ARUNIM was set up under the National Trust for the Welfare of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999.

“While differently-abled individuals here are being trained by different NGOs on making of handicraft goods, these products do not get sold often and not at their actual market value. We do not want customers to buy these products out of charity, but for their value. The main aim is to develop the entrepreneurial skills hidden in each of them so that they can not only establish their independent venture but are also able to employ more individuals like them,” the managing director of ARUNIM, Thilakam Rajendran, said.

ARUNIM prioritises on engaging artisans to create various products by utilising raw materials easily available in a particular area.

“In Assam, people are engaged in weaving and making of cane and bamboo products. Since cane, bamboo and varied types of raw silk are available here in abundance, the differently-abled individuals can make their optimum use to create beautiful objects in an innovative manner. We will try to enhance the quality of these goods and also market them at the local as well as national level as these goods are worth thousands in the present market,” Rajendran said.

“My daughter is also an international badminton player and has played in Australia and China. She paints equally well and we are on the lookout for a market for her art works. By attending the workshop, we have come to know about how to market the products,” said Anima Das Sarkar, Joyshree’s mother.