The women that you see briefly profiled here live below the poverty line as they struggle to make enough to put food on the table and meet their basic living expenses. For those people who live in the west - imagine there was no such thing as ‘welfare’ or ‘medicare’.
These women live in a country which is overpopulated with proportionately high levels of unemployment. If any of them does get a job, there is no such thing as ‘minimum pay’ – each is simply subject to market forces in an economy where there is an oversupply of labour and undersupply of employment. If you’re lucky enough to have a skill or product to sell and find work, the money can be so low that its simply not enough to pay for food or shelter.
A rural Indian woman is on her own. There is no safety net. If you don’t make money – you simply don’t eat.. and can’t pay for rent or electricity much less education or anything else. If you or someone in your family needs a medical procedure, the only option is trying to qualify for a loan on top of the one you may already have taken to meet basic living expenses.
If unable to find a product or service to sell, non government organizations who are non-profit are the only hope that the majority of poor people have. Vikasana is one such organization who has been helping severely underprivileged people since the early 1980’s.
Beautiful Silks has initiated the fair trade beautiful dolls project to help provide a means of earning a basic living income for each woman trained in making our dolls. 150 Rupees - or AUD $4.50 of each doll sold goes directly to the woman making it. Selling 20 dolls a month can earn the doll maker enough to live on. |
 |
|
When we told them we wanted to take photographs – they arrived in their best saaris and were and were happy to know they would be photographed because of the work they are doing.
Our dolls are individually ‘stitch signed’ by each woman with their own name to personalize the doll and indirectly introduce each doll maker with their purchaser. The individualized branding of each doll has also helped to move away from mass produced products which glorifies companies instead of people.
Every doll that is purchased directly helps the very woman who personally made it.
Below are some brief comments by each doll maker about how this project has helped them.
Still .. many of them shed tears during the brief interviews we had with them as they remembered the difficulties they have endured.
Match the name on your doll with the dollmaker and read a little about them.
1st Doll maker – Vishalakshi (wearing orange Saari) My life was full of misery and difficulties. I used to work as a Tailor but was struggling to make enough to live. I didn’t have enough to buy grains – much less to send my two boys even to the government schools which are supposed to be free but still cost a lot in expenses. I used to cry all the time and was nearly always sad and quite depressed. Its only after I was trained in how to make these dolls that I have been able to make a most basic income to put food on our table and to live. I learned the skills very quickly and have made some beautiful dolls which have all been sent to Australia. I am very happy that my name is on the dolls and that my work is helping someone else to be happy while also helping me. |
Abitha (Very slim wearing Black Veil with glasses) I used to do tailoring but the money I would get from that was not enough to make ends meet and to live. When I was given the opportunity to learn doll making I took it hoping it would give me a means of supplementing my income so that I could provide for my family.
I learned very well and I’m now training other women in how to make the dolls too which makes me very happy because I will be remembered by them as the person who taught them a skill that helps them make a living too.
It is wonderful knowing that I can put my name on each doll that I make. It gives me a feeling of being recognized for my work and that I have achieved something.
My goal is to be able to make enough dolls to help me buy a dwelling – a place to live – which can also be a place in which I can teach others to make dolls too.
Farida ( Burgundy and gold saari with gold earings) I had received training as a pre-primary school teacher hoping to get work with a government school which would pay me at least 5000 Ruppees a month, but there were no jobs available. The only work I could get was as a private school teacher but they paid us 600 Rupees per month ($18 AUD). I always felt ashamed because my husband would shout at me and humiliate me every day for only being able to make such little money after my teacher training. Our debts have been very high, and I got to the point where I started to think about ending my life as the only way out.
Since learning how to make dolls and being able to sell them my life has finally improved financially. My husband has also stopped harassing me and is showing me some respect now that I am actually earning more than him.
Sowbhagya – (mustard coloured outfit with light matching wrap and black necklace) We had a loan of 35 Laks (3.5 million Rupees/110 000 AUD/270 000 ILS) and were in real financial hardship. We had sold everything we owned just to reduce our loan and make some of our overdue repayments.
Since making the dolls we have been able to make all our repayments as well as have enough to cover some of our living expenses. Last month I was sick and made less dolls, but next month I hope to again make 25 dolls to sell. Knowing that my name is on the dolls makes me very happy.
Suguna (Burgundy Sari with gold border) I was 19 years old when I married my maternal uncle who was 25 years old. After giving birth to two children, my husband who was a heavy drinker left me. I had no means of supporting my family as he sent me no support.
For the last 15 years I have been on my own and have always been searching for ways I can make some money. I was doing cooking and crochet but that only earned me 1000 Rupees ($30 AUD) per month which was not enough for the three of us.
Now with the dolls I’m able to make an extra 1000-1500 per month on top of my other work so I have been able to more than double my income.
The best thing is I really love making the dolls as I love making things and I really enjoy working with the other women. Now that I’m helping to train other women it gives me a real feeling of satisfaction knowing that we are helping eachother while making something beautiful and sending it away with our names on it.
Sheela (Orange and mustard saari – gold glasses and full cheeks) I have only one son – but we moved away from the city we used to live in and moved to this regional area in the hope of a better future. My husband has been sick though and has not been able to work so our income totally depends on me.
I used to make teddy bears and teach village children how to make them but it never made me enough money to live. Now with the silk dolls my life has changed for the better. I’ve always loved dolls so I really love that I can now make enough of an income to live and from doing what I’ve always loved.
I’m really grateful for this opportunity and I’m so happy that I can also train other women in how to make them which makes me really happy.
Now that I have learned to make the dolls and have even become a trainer which really makes me happy.
Anusya and Daughter Shubha (in full black and quite beautiful) Not doll makers but both in a Self Help Group
“Our family has been basket weavers for 25 years. Vikasana has helped us to form a Self Help Group which has helped us get recognition from the Banks and qualify for a loan for the first time.
The loan has helped us buy more materials, and Vikasana has helped us get access to markets we could normally never find on our own.
As a group of women who have formed a self help group we can benefit from shared resources and create more employment for our women.”
Anusyas daughter Shubha is now volunteering with Vikasana to educate other women in how to form Self Help Groups.
