Kumbaya

(originally written on June 20, 2011)

Kumbaya has to be one of my favorite Samaj Pragati Sahayog initiatives. Partially because they produce beautiful items, partially because it is a really innovative project to promote women's empowerment, and partially because the staff is some of the friendliest people I've met so far.
"The unique significance of Kumbaya is that in a predominantly agrarian region, where there have been no traditional marketable crafts, it makes machine-stitched ready-to-wear garments, home linen and accessories designed to market specifications and international trends. Located deep in the tribal drylands for the last fourteen years, Kumbaya has empowered women from one of the most deprived areas of the country by creating livelihoods through the dynamic skill of garment fabrication. Most of these tribal women had never stitched a garment before and had no options other than manual labour. Kumbaya is also hope for many differently-abled people, particularly women, whose inability to contribute manual labour in an agricultural area leads to their abandonment. Today over 500 women in 50 villages of Udainagar revenue circle and Bagli tehsil have learnt stitching."

They have 2 centers where women (and men and handicapped people) from surrounding villages come to train and produce various garments based on orders that Kumbaya receives. At the main office location is the 3rd Kumbaya center - where they store the cloth, cut items to be stitched by the ladies at the 2 other centers, and create samples for potential production. Additionally, this is where Shahid, one of the employees, does his specialized embroidery. His work is amazing and it's just memorizing to watch him create the beautiful pieces. Here's a neat mini-documentary that focuses on Shahid's craft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT-X0r5aC5w&feature=player_embedded

Majority of my time is spent at the main office location and Anju, coordinator of the Kumbaya initiative, is my main companion on my bus trips back and forth (She speaks Hindi and English - so she does a lot of translating so I don't end up in some random village because of my horrible Hindi skills). So I have gotten to know the Kumbaya team at the main office location very well. They are lovely group who are very friendly (and made me some fabulous shirts! I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of money before I love).

I couldn't help but attach a lot of photos

1 photo: one of the centers where villagers are working on their products - with various patchwork quilts on the wall

1 photo: all the men working in the main location - in charge of cutting, sampling etc

3 photos: Shahid at work and two of his embroidery work