Banana fibre is a source of employment in urban and rural Manipur.
Moirangthem Victoria Devi is a successful entrepreneur from Manipur who designs woven and non-woven fabrics of the fibre obtained from the stem of the banana plant.
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She started her work on banana fibre under the guidance of her uncle Devkanta, an agriculture worker.
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In 2010, she established her own self-help group, under the name of Labuk Lamhang Shanghalliba Farmer Interest Group.
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Since then, Victoria and her team have been working on banana fibre and producing different kinds of items.
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Victoria Devi told ANI, "I read it in the newspaper that we can extract fibre from the banana stem and make different products out of it. So, I was thinking how to start. Later, my uncle Devekanta, who is a farmer, suggested I do this business."
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So far, Victoria has imparted training to more than 200 artisans hailing from various nooks and corners of the state.
She has been awarded for her contribution in popularizing banana fibre-made fabrics.
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At present, six artisans are working under her and make items like Banana Silk Cloth, bags, flower pots and decoration items.
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Malemnganbi Devi, an artisan told ANI, "I joined here because I am interested in producing different kind of products with different designs. Here, we make different items like bag, cloths, decorative items etc."
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Victoria's success can become an inspiration to educated unemployed youth in the northeast and encourage them to explore new innovative business ideas and become self reliant.
