Uravu stands for sustainable development and an eco-friendly lifestyle. It is significant and unique in a world where a majority of products consumed by people are use-and-throw and non-biodegradable. Uravu Indigenous Science and Technology Study Centre was established to tackle this challenge. Over the past half a decade, Uravu has succeeded in its vision of sustainable development and paved the way for an eco-friendly lifestyle.
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The Story Of Uravu
Uravu Indigenous Science and Technology Study Centre was established in 1996 at Thrikkaipetta village in Wayanad. It began with just eight families who spearheaded the bamboo processing, training and design centre, with the aim of encouraging sustainable development and income generation of financially backward classes. Since then, they have worked with various governments, people, businesses to meet their primary goal of sustainable development.
The livelihood support programs for the rural poor through the manufacturing and sales of bamboo products, ecological restoration programs through bamboo plantations, skill development and training programs for bamboo knowledge dissemination, etc. are some of the most important programs conducted by Uravu. Uravu, which started as a small venture, has now evolved into a large initiative and has given the Thrikkaipetta village the tag “heritage village of bamboo”.
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Uravu’s Products
Uravu has numerous talented and creative bamboo artisans who produce a wide range of bamboo products. From daily use products to interior decors, their list of bamboo products are rich for its quality and creativity. Currently, they offer more than 500 products like lampshades, curtains, ornaments, masks, baskets, pens, files, etc. You can purchase their products from their official website.
Bamboo Nursery and Plantations
With around 50 species of bamboo, Uravu’s nursery is regarded as the largest bamboo nursery in South India. The main focus of this initiative is to provide assistance for eco-restoration programs and to guarantee the availability of bamboo required for the manufacturing of bamboo products. Along with the supply of saplings, they also take up plantation management programs on a contract basis.
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Livelihood Support Program For Rural Women
As financial empowerment of the rural population is one of Uravu’s main objectives, they provide employment to more than 100 rural women through their skill development and livelihood support program. The beneficiaries are divided among SHGs and they are further classified into clusters. These groups produce bamboo products for Uravu. Currently, it has 17 SHGs, five of them working in Thrikkaipetta village and others are located in the premises of the village within a 30 km raduis.
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What Makes Uravu Unique?
Uravu’s way of working is to develop sustainable products and promote an eco-friendly lifestyle. Their programs for ecological restoration and rural livelihood development should also be appreciated in today’s world. If you wish to be a part of the eco-friendly lifestyle and sustainable development promoted by Uravu, you can check out them on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
