Guwahati, Feb 27: Two handicraft production centres have been set up for skilled women artisans from the fringes of Laokhowa-Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary (LBWLS),a rhino habitat in Assam, by Aaranyak with support from International Rhino Foundation (IRF).
These handicraft production centres were inaugurated on February 25, 2026 in presence of Dr. Sonali Ghosh, Director of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve; Nina Fascione, Executive Director of International Rhino Foundation; Rahul Dutta of the International Rhino Foundation; Dr. Debo Kumar Dutta and Arif Hussain, senior officials of Aaranyak; Sabrina Begum, Member of Aaranyak and Anjuma Begum Master Trainer.
These centres will to provide suitable workspaces, collective production facilities, and sustained income- generation opportunities for trained women artisans from the area.
As part of its sustained efforts toward community development and sustainable livelihood promotion, NE region’s biodiversity conservation non-profit Aaranyak in collaboration with Laokhowa-Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary (LBWLS) under Nagaon Wildlife Division, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve and Laokhowa Burhachapori Conservation Society (LBCS), and with the support of IRF has been conducting skill-based training for women residing in fringe areas of Laokhowa-Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary.
These handicraft production centres have been set up for enhancing technical skills and securing financial independence for the trained women artisans. These centres mark a significant step toward institutionalizing community-based handicraft production, strengthening women-led enterprises, and ensuring sustainable livelihood opportunities in the region.
