Barabanki Weaver’s Development Project

01 October 2010 - 31 March 2018

Project status : closed 

Locations(s) : Barabanki District in Uttar Pradesh, India 

Partners/Donor’s name : Monsoon Accessorize Trust, U.K. From 2011 to 2013, the project was supported by DFID (now UK-Aid) under their Responsible & Accountable Garments (RAGS) program through Monsoon.

Related SDGs : SDG 1, SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 10

The project worked for Improving livelihoods and socio-economic conditions of the weavers families in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh and providing holistic development opportunities to out-of-school or drop-out children and adolescents from the weaver families through quality education and skill development 

Project Details / Achievements :

Barabanki Weavers Development Project was started in October 2010, with the support of Monsoon Accessorize Trust, UK and RAGS (DFID / UK-AID), for the overall development of the poor & vulnerable weaver’s communities in 4 villages in Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh, India. The project had two important program components: Livelihood and Education.

Under the Livelihoods Programme, the key activities were:

  • Mapping weaver supply chains to increase visibility and traceability
  • Implementing time motion studies to calculate the correct piece rate for each style, with the cooperation of sub-contractors
  • Introduction of weaver log books to record payments to weavers
  • Training and sensitization of sub-contractors and weavers in the process
  • Providing credit and livelihood support to vulnerable weaver families
  • Linking youth with vocational trades
  • Providing adult and financial literacy to women from weaving families to assist with livelihood development.

Under the Education Programme, the key activities were:

  • Operating non formal education centres for school drop outs or non-school attending children
  • Operating adolescent development centres for adolescents from the weaving families
  • Mainstreaming the above children into formal schools
  • Improvement of the quality of education in local schools

Key Achievements:

  • 100% of Monsoon product from project supplier was costed using ETI methodology for calculating piece rate: Fair Price for the weaving production was ensured for the weavers involved in monsoon production: around 50 weavers were using “Workers Hand Books / Reference Books” with entry of actual payments made
  • Total 132 W-CIGs were formed by the end of the project (May 2013) with 582 weavers families and all of these 582 families received livelihood and credit support from the project. Many of the families received loan for 2nd and 3rd time also, after successful repayment of their previous loan.
  • 90.55% of the weaver’s families could increase their income through the project support.
  • Total 190 youth from the weaver’s families was linked with various vocational trades like computer training, tailoring training, driving, electrical repairing, beauty culture etc.
  • Total 56 women from the weaver’s families received adult and financial literacy trainings during the project period
  • 370 non-school going / drop out children from vulnerable weavers families (aged 5-12 years) were prepared through Non Formal Education Centers and mainstreamed in different local schools
  • 243 out of school adolescents from very poor & vulnerable families (aged 13-17 years) were completed Education and Skill Development Program
  • Quality of Education improved in 5 local schools through a holistic and comprehensive intervention in the form of teachers trainings, handholding, special education classes and stakeholder engagement