Together with our fabric bag partners in India, WBC launched the Cocobagh Social Business Venture in 2015.
Based in West Bengal, the Cocobagh project creates training and employment opportunities in the local community surrounding our production facility.
Cocobagh focuses on empowering widowed women who have little to no access to training or employment and teaches them the male-dominated art of stitching and bag making. Our goal is to support these women by providing them with the basic finances, the skills and route to employment – so that they can ultimately afford to send their children to school.
Inspired by the coconut palm trees we ceremoniously planted when we inaugurated the project, the word ‘Cocobagh’ in Hindi means ‘Coconut Garden’, a fitting tribute to a project we hope will grow like the trees.
Cocobagh is a sustainable business where all profits are reinvested back into the project to offer more opportunities for the whole community.
What Does Cocobagh Do?
Cocobagh identifies local women needing support and invites them to attend training workshops, where they learn the art of stitching and bag making.
The attendees are paid for their time and encouraged to join the project on a permanent basis and eventually become employed as stitchers, producing specific products in our fabric bag range. The profits from these products are reinvested to provide more opportunities for other local women.
- We are proud to say that we are currently training on average 30 women each month
- It takes an average of 6 months of training for a student to reach a commercially viable standard of stitching.
- Every person starts their training with our basic tote style bags, once they’ve mastered this they move on to aprons.
Meet The Women
All the women who have joined the project have overcome personal challenges and had to find the confidence and motivation to get this far.
We are humbled by their determination and hard work, we’re very proud to be a part of their journey.
Jaheda Khatun
Jaheda (first image above) joined the project in 2017, she learnt new skills and grew in confidence, which resulted in her finding full-time work with a factory not far away from where she lives.
Manu Mondal
Manu (second image above) started at the Cocobagh Project back in 2015 and is now one of the senior stitchers. The project has helped Manu develop self-confidence, as well as her bag making skills.
Sanjura Bibi
Sanjura (first image above) was very shy when she first joined the Cocobagh Training programme. As her skills have developed, she has become much more confident in all aspects of her life.
Sakila Khatun
Sakila (second image above) was one of the very first women to join the project back in 2015. Her skills have empowered her to become the most senior stitcher and ‘Mother’ of the project.
How You Can Help
Buying Cocobagh products ensures continued investment in a project that’s making a tangible difference to people’s lives. You’re helping to champion the traditions of artisan handicrafts but more than that, you’re joining us on our quest to support the maker. Look out for products that feature the Cocobagh logo, we look forward to bringing you more in the coming years.
