Simone Bodner Turner a volunteer from USA provided 2 days training of candle making for the women of Jitpurphedi, with the help of Om Kumari Shrestha VIN’s women empowerment head. Candle making is not a difficult task. With help of few hours of practice and the required materials needed the trainee can easily prepare candles for home use or start production in large quantity with the help of a few small group of devoted friends. Hypothetically, if the work is efficient with the 5 sheets of wax we purchased, we could make 625 candles, and selling each candles for Rs20, 3 women working in a group can generate a profit of Rs 1,200 per batch.
During the first day of training we had few difficulties, Many gathered around one pot, which let to crowding and candles bumping into one another, breaking them and creating bumps on candles. When the wax was too hot it didn’t stuck to the strings, and if the wax was cold it created uneven layers of candles.
The solution to this was making the strings shorter, make sure to leave at least 4 inches of strings between two dipping sides so they don’t bend on top when they are hung to dry. And we could even add scented oil and color for better look and pleasant smell.
On the second day of the training we separated two areas of work, so it wasn’t as crowded as before. On this day the women were making mold candles instead of candle sticks. The women were running the workshop themselves – melting the wax, pouring it into the cups, etc.
The materials for the training were provided by VIN, and with the help of Simone Bodner Turner and Om Kumari Shrestha the women learned a new skill. The entire workshop was we received by the community, all the participating members had fun and happy to learn something that may be helpful to bring in some income source. VIN has been conducting programs like these to provide various skill to the women of Jitpurphedi, help share the idea and importance of women empowerment in the community.
Published on: 05 Feb 2016
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