eCoexist, a Pune based social enterprise, will now export the natural holi colours for Holi 2011 packaged by the women inmates of the Yerawada Central Prison in Pune to seven cities in the country also to the UK and the USA. This is a good initiative to provide earning ability to women prisoners. In 2010, women inmates of Tihar Jail also prepared natural holi colours.
Dipannita Das for Times of India writes
The natural holi colours packaged by the women inmates of the Yerawada Central Prison in Pune will now be exported to seven cities in the country and also to the UK and the US. The colours are made by women self-help groups in Pune and Karnataka, from turmeric, flowers and beetroot.
Forty women prisoners of the prison were trained to package the natural and eco-friendly colours, through an initiative by the city-based social enterprise eCoexist that promotes eco-sensitive products. In the process, the inmates have also earned money from packaging 5,300 kg of holi colour last month.
Manisha Gutman, founder eCoexist told TOI that the packaging of ‘Rang Dulaar’ colours provides an opportunity to the women prisoners to earn an income. This semi-skilled work requires a relatively low level of skill and can be done both by young and older women.