Eri Silk - what an amazing material

In the rural area of east Assam, close to the landlocked state of Nagaland in the northeastern region of India, the women of the villages traditionally grow Eri worms. The villages are bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south, and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar (Burma) to the east.

Due to a running border dispute, also at the Indian high court, there are hardly any development funds provided.

There are 12 different tribes in the area, the most militant of which are the Naga. Cash comes only through drug smuggling, with weapons supplied by nearby China.

The tribes' life is very challenging - but mainly self-sufficient. Ahom construct houses from bamboo and mud - half timbered, but they use bamboo instead of wood.
For clothing they produce silk, which they hand-spin directly from the unwashed cocoon. The fabric they weave has no sheen, which results when the cocoon is degummed before spinning.
Every household has a "garden" where the daily nutrition is grown. Potatoes, coconut, fruit trees like jack fruit, pomegranate and bananas (the banana roots contain vital salt), rice, tea, oil from mustard and coconut, which is also used for hair and skin care.

There are also pigs, chickens, ducks, goats and cows - but holding animals is difficult because of leopards all around.

The payment for the silk goes directly into the individual women's bank accounts. Even in the remote area, mobile phone based banking is available and used. This gives the women in particular, direct control about their income, which they save for emergencies and for the education of their children.