24-Year-Old Helps 500 Women Earn From Traditional Crafts

At 24, Debongshi Chakma is proving that the path to economic independence doesn't have to erase cultural roots. In Mizoram's remote Lawngtlai district, she's built a 500-member collective that helps women earn sustainable incomes through the same traditional crafts they learned growing up.

Bodhibloom Society brings together artisans, farmers, and craftspeople who create handwoven textiles, bamboo products, traditional foods, and practice sustainable farming. These aren't museum pieces or charity projects—they're contemporary products for consumers who value handmade, culturally authentic goods.

Debongshi grew up surrounded by Chakma tribal traditions, from weaving to bamboo craftsmanship to indigenous food practices. But she also saw women in her community struggling with economic hardship, particularly divorced women facing limited opportunities.

"I do not want to see any woman suffering or unemployed," she says. "My vision is to create opportunities so that every woman in my community is self-reliant and empowered."

The challenge wasn't just production—it was market access. Remote tribal communities rarely have pathways to customers who would pay fair prices for their craftsmanship.

That's where partnerships changed everything. Through TRIFED, India's Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation, Debongshi's products now reach national retail and e-commerce networks far beyond Mizoram.

The collaboration provides more than shelf space. Women receive support in value addition, packaging, branding, and skill development—allowing them to capture more value from their work instead of selling raw materials for pennies.

The Ripple Effect

What started as one young woman's vision is reshaping what development looks like in tribal India. Every handwoven textile carries generations of knowledge while generating income that gives women economic agency in their families and communities.

Younger generations are seeing traditional skills as assets rather than relics. Women who might have left their villages for uncertain urban jobs are finding dignity and income at home.

The model challenges a false choice that's plagued rural development—preserve culture or pursue economic growth. Debongshi's collective does both, showing that indigenous knowledge holds immense value in markets that increasingly reward authenticity and sustainability.

As 500 women build livelihoods through their heritage, they're writing a different story about what progress can look like—one where cultural identity becomes economic strength.