Freedom in the work space is the single most important factor that prompted Jameela to stay on with uravu for the last 20 years. Never afraid to take up responsibilities, she took on her shoulders the challenge of bringing up her daughter and supporting her mother after a broken marriage early in life. As the president of the cluster federation, the association bamboo artisans in the Kalpetta bamboo cluster organized by Uravu, she has been leading the artisans for the last five years. “ i have attended several workshops, trained many people, seen places, interacted with several bigwigs, ministers and officials, all because of my job with Uravu,” Jameela says with pride.

Ajeesh finds bliss in crafting elegant lampshades and teaching others the art of craft making. A self-taught artist, he was an advertisement board painter before coming to Uravu. His journey with Uravu started ten years back and one of his first assignment here was to learn new crafting ideas with bamboo and teach this to a group of women who had just set up their Self-help group back then. Since then, he decided that this is the place where he belongs. In his own words “My work satisfaction is derived from the trainings. It’s always a pleasure to teach someone the skill sets for crafting at the same time I learn a lot of new things from them”. He has bright ideas about his future endeavors and hopes that he’d be able to host his own art events with his association with Uravu.

Jameela is a stunning exemplar of courage and persistence for the Uravu family. She’s been sailing with Uravu for the past ten years and has been a true flag bearer of Uravu despite the obstacles in her personal life. Her husband left her and their only daughter early in life but she was determined to raise her kid her own. She was the happiest person in the world when she got her all grown up smart kid married in a graceful event. The Self-help group which Jameela represents- “Soubhagya” is one of the most successful unit affiliated to Uravu and operates outside Uravu campus at Pozhuthana.

A legacy passed on to him by his father, Rakesh is one of the most gifted artisan we have ever come through. Rakesh hails from a very humble background and while his siblings moved on to other pastures, Rakesh remained determined to continue his father’s tradition of creating wonders in bamboo. He found Uravu as the ideal destination for supporting his course and his life journey. Today, he leads workshops and training programs at Uravu. One of the most priced assets of Uravu, he led the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation’s Bamboo based product making workshop, recently concluded in Srilanka. His mastery over bamboo as a material has helped him evolve new designs and innovative products.