A one-week skill development training programme on Banana Fibre Bark Crafts Making was inaugurated on 6 September 2026 in the Avinashi Taluk of Coimbatore District, with the objective of empowering rural women and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities in remote villages.
The programme was jointly organised by Ecogreenunit Foundation and Sedo Trust, focusing particularly on rural women who are looking for home-based and environmentally friendly income-generating activities.
Banana cultivation generates substantial quantities of agricultural residues after harvesting. Instead of allowing banana stems and other plant residues to go to waste, these materials can be converted into useful fibres and attractive handcrafted products. The training introduces participants to this “Waste to Wealth” approach and demonstrates how agricultural residues can become a source of additional income.
During the week-long programme, participants are being introduced to various stages of banana-fibre and bark craft production, including selection and preparation of banana plant materials, fibre extraction, cleaning and processing, preparation of bark and fibre, basic weaving and craft techniques, product finishing and value addition.
The women are also being encouraged to explore the production of marketable eco-friendly products using banana fibre and bark. Depending on their skill level, such products can include decorative articles, utility products, baskets, mats, gift articles, home décor items and other handmade products.
A major emphasis of the programme is on developing practical, hands-on skills rather than classroom-based learning alone. Participants get an opportunity to work directly with the raw material and gradually develop the confidence required to produce finished products.
Empowering Women Through Sustainable Enterprises
The initiative aims to demonstrate that rural women can establish small-scale, home-based enterprises with locally available agricultural resources. Such enterprises can provide supplementary income while allowing women to continue their household and agricultural responsibilities.
The programme also promotes the principles of the circular economy, where agricultural residues are viewed not as waste but as valuable resources. By converting banana residues into useful products, the initiative can contribute to reducing waste, encouraging eco-friendly production and creating rural employment.
Ecogreenunit Foundation has been working in the field of eco-friendly enterprises, sustainable livelihoods, women empowerment and waste-to-wealth initiatives, with a particular focus on converting locally available natural resources and agricultural residues into value-added products.
From Skill to Market Opportunity
Skill development is only the first step towards establishing a successful rural enterprise. The participants are therefore being encouraged to look beyond production and understand the importance of product quality, design innovation, finishing, packaging, branding and market linkages.
With appropriate training and market support, groups of rural women can potentially develop collective production units or individual home-based enterprises. This can create opportunities for regular income generation and strengthen the economic participation of women in rural communities.
The programme also demonstrates how collaboration between voluntary organisations and grassroots communities can help bring new livelihood models to remote villages.
Building a Greener Rural Economy
The banana-fibre bark crafts initiative is an example of how traditional rural resources can be combined with modern product development and entrepreneurship. It seeks to create a model where agriculture, women empowerment, environmental sustainability and rural enterprise development work together.
The organisers believe that such initiatives can encourage more rural women to become entrepreneurs and create sustainable livelihoods while contributing to a greener and more circular economy.
The one-week programme, which commenced on 6 September 2026, is therefore more than a crafts training programme—it is an effort to transform an agricultural residue into an economic resource, a livelihood opportunity and an eco-friendly enterprise for rural women.
Jointly organised by:
Ecogreenunit Foundation & Sedo Trust
Focus: Women Empowerment • Rural Livelihoods • Banana Fibre Crafts • Waste to Wealth • Circular Economy • Eco-friendly Enterprise
