EMC, Kolkata, India
EMC, makers of the sari blanket is an initiative where young women from the slums of Kolkata, India receive training and job opportunities. As well as theory and practical skills in tailoring and paper craft work, the women are taught English, business skills and values for life.
The women, whilst being paid for their craft work, are increasingly self sufficient. Their self esteem and dignity are built up and they are empowered to begin to improve the quality of their lives.
EMC is a holistic project and while their main focus is on job training and income generation, they have seen first hand that for women to be empowered they also need relationships and encouragement. They offer optional times of prayer and devotion both at the start and end of every day.
EMC was both founded by and continues to be run by Indian Christians.
On this note, there is no pressure applied in any way to the women EMC train. They’re stated purpose is “We want our women to feel loved and encouraged here, no matter where they are at”
Their very personal approach to trade is seen in the following invitation.
“At EMS we desire to have the wall that keeps consumers and producers separated torn down. We are always happy to have people come visit us at the EMC Centre and meet the women working here. We extend a personal invitation to you to come to Kolkata and experience the joys of the EMC Centre but also realize Kolkata not is not in most people’s neck of the woods.”
The Sari Blanket Story
A sari is the traditional attire for women in the Indian sub-continent. In Kolkata, to this day, most married women wear saris. A sari is one long piece of fabric at least 6 meters long and one meter wide. A sari can be made from a number of different types of fabric.
While some cotton saris are fancy, most are for everyday use.
Saris are often used even when they are worn out and can no longer be worn. This is especially true in poor communities where old saris are used to cover mattresses, made into floor mats, and quilted together to make pads to place babies on.
Sometimes used saris are traded in for a variety of plastic household products such as buckets and stools. This bartering is a common sight in poor communities. The “walla” who collects the sari blankets will then go and sell them up in the north of the city at a large bazaar early on Sunday mornings.
EMC has a buyer who goes and picks out the best saris and delivers them once a fortnight.
EMC choose the best of these saris and match them together. Ones that don’t make the cut are then used for the inner layers of the blankets and other products.
Stitching layers of sari fabric together is actually an age-old tradition in West Bengal. To this day you see squares of stitched-together sari hanging out to dry on clothing lines. As mentioned above, these have a variety of uses. The actual stitch technique used is locally known as the Katha (or Kantha) stitch. It is a basic running stitch but traditionally is used to make elaborate designs not only to quilt used fabric together but to embellish new fabric.
Basically EMC have taken a local art and everyday product and tweaked it to match the tastes of the west.
What is beautiful about these products is that most of the material is from recycled material. It’s not just that being green is now the trendy thing to do and often a good marketing tool. It’s a reality for their neighbours in Kolkata that as global warming takes effect it is going to effect the poorest in the world the most. These will be the ones with the least resources to cope with the changes and will be directly effected by changes in weather patterns effecting harvests and increasing floods during monsoons.
So this is one way that EMC see as encouraging good practices themselves.
It’s is also symbolic of how we are able to take something that is often discarded as worthless and actually bring new life and new meaning to it. It’s all about empowering women who are often told they are worth nothing and saying “No, you are valued and beautiful!”
