61-Year-Old Homemaker Proves `Age Is Just A Number`; Empowers Tribal Women Of Jhumri Telaiya, Earning Rs 14 Lakh

Success Story: A 61-year-old woman from Jharkhand is hand-crocheting toys to revive the art form, even though such things have been dwindling over time. Since its launch in 2021, Kanchan Bhadani`s company, `Loophoop`, has sold over 3,500 hand-crocheted toys.

Jhumri Telaiya: Before the quick-paced textile industry dominated the marketplace, hand-crocheted products were a common sight in most homes. The majority of moms and grandmothers would sit with their crocheting tools after finishing their daily housework and make everything from tablecloths and drapes to sofa covers and toys. A 61-year-old woman from Jharkhand is hand-crocheting toys to revive the art form, even though such things have been dwindling over time. Since its launch in 2021, Kanchan Bhadani's company, 'Loophoop', has sold over 3,500 hand-crocheted toys. She also offers free training to homemakers and girls from tribal villages so they can support themselves. She has taught the craft of crocheting to more than 50 native women thus far. Most of them collaborate with her to create toys for business.

A Lady From Bengal

Kanchan was born and raised in Kolkata, where she learned to crochet toys and tablecloths from her grandmother and aunts. She acquired the skill in a similar way as her aunts and grandmothers. She received specialized instruction in art at school. Kanchan continued to practice since she always loved doing it. She married and relocated to Jhumri Telaiya in Jharkhand in 1982.

Tribal Women And Jhumri Telaiya

Even though she was passionate about her art, she also had another love that she eventually decided to follow. She had encountered numerous illiterate tribal women since relocating to Jhumri Telaiya. They could only find employment in the mines, which paid a meager daily salary. Kanchan was always considering ways she could significantly improve the lives of these women after witnessing their suffering.

Crochet Classes For Tribals

Although the tribals didn't use it as frequently, all the women around her were familiar with the skill. Every girl was taught how to sew, weave, and crochet back then. Kanchan occasionally taught crochet classes to ladies who were eager to acquire the skill until 2021, but the majority of the time she was a homemaker. So far, she has trained more than 50 native women. Even though there are no prerequisites for learning to crochet, the majority of people need between 10 to 15 days to get the hang of it. Additionally, if they keep practicing, they can become more skilled. She currently has 25 regular coworkers out of those 50. Kanchan's female employees are paid for the service they produce. If they labor for 2-3 hours per day on average, they might expect to make more than Rs 5,000 every month.

Kanchan creates a variety of soft toys, including elephants, dolls, caterpillars, octopuses, etc. So far, she has sold almost 3,500 toys. The toys may be purchased on their official website and Instagram account, as well as on websites like Flipkart and Amazon. The business currently brings in more than Rs. 14 lakh annually.

When most individuals were planning to retire, Kanchan started her business. She has no intention of stopping. Also, in order to better the lives of these tribal women, she intends to continue her efforts.