Maheshwari Weavers

The reason I took this class, is mostly because of my need to think about how to effectively design “for the other 90%”… of course, I do not like the fact that “other” is a key word in this statement. The work I am doing in India now is only the result of the close relationships that I formed there; these relationships were only possible after I had learned to speak Hindi fluently-- language is a big factor in absolving the sense of “otherness” that may at first be palpable when working across cultures.

I fell in love with India after living in Varanasi, one of the world’s oldest living cities, for a year. Then, I fell in love with Satyam, we have now been together almost 4 years. He is from Maheshwar, a small village in Madhya Pradesh, where he runs a grass-roots NGO, Chetanya Sewa: besides providing food and housing to the elderly, this NGO works on transforming the village slums. Though I still love India, I can no longer idealize it. The things I have experienced, seen, and heard from people who actually live in slums has made me feel that I should try and help as much as I can, if only perhaps because I am in the position to do so. I do not want to speak for anyone, the best thing I can do is just try to listen to what people tell me about their lives and their needs, and start from there.

The images I have posted are of Maya and Deepa, two Maheshwari handloom weavers, wearing saris that they have woven themselves. The hardcopies incorporate handloomed silk and portray the weavers’ lives and livelihoods. I will be working with the Maheshwari weavers again starting in July, this time with the assistance of a grant from Rotary International.

I realize the potential and the opportunity that the relatively new fair-trade market provides for these female weavers to substantially better their standard of living; also, the relative value of the dollar over the rupee means that profits can also be utilized in order to fund Chetanya Sewa, and there is a lot we can potentially do. But, the success of this project will rely on design input and how well we can create textile items that will be marketable in the West, mainly in the US. If we can do this, we will not only help the weavers raise their standard of living, but also bring in funds that can help transform the slums in the Khargone region. If anyone has any ideas about, or interest in, this sort of project, please talk to me...