This social enterprise supports weavers, spinners

Chennai

Due to the pandemic, the weaving and spinning community which is the second-largest employer in the country has been heavily hit.

Although the artisans were struggling, they never stopped their work. This led to massive amounts of stockpiling and the monsoons added a sense of urgency to liquidate these stocks.

Also, customers stopped buying for a few months. Considering the plight of artisans, social activist Anantha Sayanan came up with the idea of forming a collective of all these weavers and spinners and formed India HandMade Collective.

“This is a social enterprise that is ethical, eco-friendly and assures fair trade and transparency. Our online site helps in unifying and bringing artisans from across the country onto a common platform. Through our initiative, we encourage the indigenous weavers, spinners and ethical small textile producers to continue their work in this space and make their ends meet sustainably, by giving their business a boost. This way, we can expand the market for handmade clothing and create awareness among consumers about the situation of weavers,” says Malini Kumar, the managing partner of India HandMade Collective.
 
Malini and the team also believe that through such a platform they can educate consumers about the rich heritage of handlooms and anything handcrafted.

“As of now, we have 25 member organisations, working with around 5,000 rural artisans showcasing about 1,000 products. Consumers should be conscious about the world in which we live, especially, after the pandemic. Handmade clothes are being brought to customers without middlemen or aggregators but through  a by-them-for-them market place. All proceeds from sales will directly benefit farmers, weavers and spinners. Through this small step, we hope to have a positive impact on the effects of climate change as khadi is free from the use of fossil fuels and energy, which makes it truly the sustainable fabric of the present and future,” she adds.