MACRAMÉ OUTREACH
Image courtesy of IndianYards
“Our focus is to provide a livelihood for women from tribal and rural communities and craft is the medium for achieving this”, say Sunita Suhas and Suhas Ramegowda, co-founders, IndianYards, a social enterprise in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu state, in South India. Coonoor is located in The Nilgiris, literally Blue Mountains, a scenic biodiversity hotspot that is home to indigenous communities, dense mixed forests, tea plantations, a variety of animal and bird life.
Having left their corporate careers and city lives “to live off the grid”, the couple moved to a quiet spot in forests in The Nilgiris in 2018 with their young son. As they farmed and met local rural and tribal communities, they observed that training women in a simple craft that brought them an income could help transform their lives. They felt that younger mothers specifically required help as they were confined to their homes.
Image courtesy of IndianYards
Sunita, an avid craft practitioner, felt it would be ideal if the women learnt a craft that was relatively easy to practise; could be done from home without any machines or tools; would not require much space; and would not have wastage. Research and thought led Sunita to zero-in on macramé. She learnt and practised the technique herself and then the couple found a source of 100% cotton yarns that are produced from recycled pre-consumer fashion waste and wooden components from responsibly managed forests.
Meanwhile, they moved to Coonoor and founded IndianYards in April 2019, as a social enterprise. Sunita started teaching macramé techniques to a small group of women, while Suhas worked out the supply chain.
In the past three years, including the pandemic months, more than fifty women have learnt macramé at the IndianYards resource centre to become first-generation macramé artisans. The space also gives them an opportunity to meet and bond. Post training, they take the raw material home and craft products. The future plan is to encourage women to become independent macramé artisan-entrepreneurs.
Image courtesy of IndianYards
The IndianYards product range features home décor articles like wall hangings, shelves, lamp shades, cushion sleeves and curtain ties; garden décor that are plant hangers; table and dining like mats and coasters; and lifestyle products like bags and yoga mat belts. They are presently working on building a range for a few more categories.
The yarn - single strand, twisted of three-ply or five-ply, or braided - is selected and knots worked based on the product to be crafted. Sunita and Suhas are happy to interact with clients to customise products and ship worldwide.
“Our focus is to provide a livelihood for women from tribal and rural communities and craft is the medium for achieving this”, say Sunita Suhas and Suhas Ramegowda, co-founders, IndianYards, a social enterprise in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu state, in South India. Coonoor is located in The Nilgiris, literally Blue Mountains, a scenic biodiversity hotspot that is home to indigenous communities, dense mixed forests, tea plantations, a variety of animal and bird life.
Having left their corporate careers and city lives “to live off the grid”, the couple moved to a quiet spot in forests in The Nilgiris in 2018 with their young son. As they farmed and met local rural and tribal communities, they observed that training women in a simple craft that brought them an income could help transform their lives. They felt that younger mothers specifically required help as they were confined to their homes.
Image courtesy of IndianYards
Sunita, an avid craft practitioner, felt it would be ideal if the women learnt a craft that was relatively easy to practise; could be done from home without any machines or tools; would not require much space; and would not have wastage. Research and thought led Sunita to zero-in on macramé. She learnt and practised the technique herself and then the couple found a source of 100% cotton yarns that are produced from recycled pre-consumer fashion waste and wooden components from responsibly managed forests.
Meanwhile, they moved to Coonoor and founded IndianYards in April 2019, as a social enterprise. Sunita started teaching macramé techniques to a small group of women, while Suhas worked out the supply chain.
In the past three years, including the pandemic months, more than fifty women have learnt macramé at the IndianYards resource centre to become first-generation macramé artisans. The space also gives them an opportunity to meet and bond. Post training, they take the raw material home and craft products. The future plan is to encourage women to become independent macramé artisan-entrepreneurs.
Image courtesy of IndianYards
The IndianYards product range features home décor articles like wall hangings, shelves, lamp shades, cushion sleeves and curtain ties; garden décor that are plant hangers; table and dining like mats and coasters; and lifestyle products like bags and yoga mat belts. They are presently working on building a range for a few more categories.
The yarn - single strand, twisted of three-ply or five-ply, or braided - is selected and knots worked based on the product to be crafted. Sunita and Suhas are happy to interact with clients to customise products and ship worldwide.
2 comments
Can I have your contact no ?
Great initiative! We would love to train them in Natural Dyes application to add an extra element to also help create wider range for the buyers to choose from.