Category

Cocobagh Project

Cocobagh is a social business venture founded by WBC and based in Kolkata, West Bengal in the region where our bags for life are made. All profits from Cocobagh are reinvested to create training and employment opportunities for members of the community who are marginalised through cultural or social reasons. Its primary goal is to support women by providing them with finances, skills and a route to employment – so that their children go to school.

02
Apr

Meet the Team: Jo & Laura Visit Kolkata

2nd April 2018
After an intensive year of training in the art of sewing and stitching, our Cocobagh trainees are now full time members of our production team in Baduria...
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01
Feb

Meet the Maker – Sakila Khatun

1st February 2018,
Sakila has been with the project for three years, since the very first day we opened the training centre she has been part of our journey. Recommended to us by the local Panchayat, Sakila lives very close by but has not been employed before so was initially nervous about entering a new environment.  The first few...
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28
Nov

Round Table India supporting Cocobagh

28th November 2017
After an intensive year of training in the art of sewing and stitching, our Cocobagh trainees are now full time members of our production team in Baduria...
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21
Apr

Ethical aprons now available

21st April 2017,
We have just received our very first Aprons!  Made by the ladies in the project from 100% recycled canvas material we are using these products as a way to put money in the the project.  It is really exciting to see a product that has been specifically designed to contribute directly to the project. Recycled...
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19
Feb

6 more trainees join the team

19th February 2017,
We have now recruited 6 more trainees – the very interesting thing is that they immediately have more confidence that the original crew.  I think some of this is because they have the inspiration and security of the ladies who went before them – there is certainly a nurturing atmosphere in the project building now...
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18
Nov

The light at the end of a long road

18th November 2016,
Visiting the project finally felt like something has been achieved.  Seeing the very smiley Shaikla as we walked in was uplifting and really showed me that we have achieved something.  Exactly what we have achieved remains to be seen, but the confidence is palpable and truly visible.  It seems that the first hurdle in the...
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18
Oct

Cocobagh Bags Of Opportunity

18th October 2016
After an intensive year of training in the art of sewing and stitching, our Cocobagh trainees are now full time members of our production team in Baduria...
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16
May

Building Relationships Building Support

16th May 2016,
Well it’s May and we haven’t lost any students! We still have the same 6 people who started the project all those months ago, that is good news. The even better news is they are so much more smiley, a lot less suspicious and dare I even say friendly? But the best thing is that...
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Sticky Post
09
Apr

What is Cocobagh?

9th April 2016,
Together with our partners Eco Jute and WBC, we launched Cocobagh Social Business Venture, a social business venture in West Bengal to create training and employment opportunities for the community surrounding our production facility. Aimed at members of the community who are marginalised through cultural or social reasons we are focusing on empowering widowed women who don’t...
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11
Mar

A reassuring sign of security

11th March 2016,
  Sukumar is a local Bengali man who has been the security guard at the entrance to the factory since the site at Baduria opened. He was friendly enough, but what we didn’t know was that he had a background in teaching, AND teaching stitching! He jumped at the opportunity to run the training for...
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