The Slipper Journey That is Transforming Songchet Nangrime IVCS LtdIn a small village of Meghalaya, where people have to walk long distances to reach markets or get basic items, a village decided to solve a problem in its own unique way. Aruakgre, a village in North Garo Hills, is about 13 km from the nearest weekly market and over 30 km from the nearest town. The villagers faced a challenge that many people often ignore finding affordable slipper for everyday use.
For most, slippers are an everyday essential. But in this community, worn-out slippers with broken straps were patched and re-patched, or worse, left unusable for weeks until the next market day. With limited incomes and transport costs compounding the struggle, footwear slowly became a symbol of inaccessibility, a reflection of deeper infrastructural and economic gaps in the region.
To solve this problem, the Songchet Nangrime, Integrated Village Cooperative Society (IVCS) Ltd. came up with a great idea. In July 2024, they started their own slipper making unit in the village.
This initiative was launched to address a critical local need, as the village of Aruakgre where the IVCS is located is located 13 km from the nearest weekly market in Adokgre, making access to basic footwear difficult for residents. However, with no nearby shops, villagers have limited options: either wait for market day or travel 32 km to Dhupdhara, which involves both time and travel expenses.
Most households in the area fall under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category. In many cases, residents would continue using damaged footwear by replacing broken straps, but even strap replacements are unavailable locally. They have to wait for the weekly market to access even such basic items.