The Urmul Trust: Leading the Villagers Towards Self-reliance
Representing 11 different organizations working towards social and economic change in the lives of the people in more than 560 villages, Urmul Trust leads the poor towards self-reliance by making available to them a package of development services that they themselves decide on, design, implement and eventually finance
UMBVS At A Glance
T he Urmul Marusthali Bunker Vikas Samiti (UMBVS) is an organization registered under the Societies Registration Act. It was set up on 30 January 1991 with the following objectives: (a) ensuring the economic development of the bunkar samaj (weavers’ community) through income generating programmes, based on their traditional skill of weaving and (b) ensuring the preservation of traditional art forms through regular skill enhancement, proper provisioning of incentives and technological up gradation. It is a hybrid—a co-operative in essence with the norm of one member, one vote, and a society in form. It has a membership base of about 170 weavers belonging to the Meghwal caste, spread over a dozen villages in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer districts in western Rajasthan.
The UMBVS carries out an entire range of activities for the benefit of its members— sourcing of raw materials, dyeing, organizing the production in the villages, design development, running a tailoring unit and retail showrooms as well as marketing. The product range comprises intricately woven woollen and cotton pattu (traditional blankets) and value-added products such as home furnishings, women’s and men’s wear, and accessories. It has an annual turnover of Rs 60 lakhs and has physical assets in the form of vehicles, dyeing and tailoring machinery, office equipment and two large campuses in Phalodi and Pokhran. Its sponsors and partners include various government agencies, national and international development support organizations, and academic institutions.
The UMBVS also implements social development programmes in health, education and natural resources management in the areas of its operations. Its work in the social sector has enabled it to earn respect from other sections of the society, who earlier treated them merely as rangai-chapai waalas its social reform work among the Meghwals has resulted in reducing alcoholism among the weaving community, and in reducing indebtedness by avoiding unnecessary expenditure during marriages and other celebrations.