India Awaits: Open House for the Arthouse Trust (Joy @ Work)

I have previously written about the wonderful work done by The Arthouse Trust and their work with the 'Joy @ Work' project in a nearby slum in Whitefield. There are currently 14 women working there learning to use discarded products, such as tetra-pak cartons, rice sacks, old saris and kurtas, to make upcycled items for sale. The lady who runs that project is just so VERY interesting to talk to, and an inspiration to many with so much more than these ladies could ever imagine. Today I hosted an Open House to sell the products to fund the next months work.

It takes the 14 ladies a couple of months to work on the products to have enough for a sale. They are currently selling the very popular tetra-pak bags which are great for the pool or beach, and even as shopping bags. They use the rice sacks and embroidery yarn to make satchels for young girls, tote bags and even floor cushions and rugs. Scraps of old fabric are used to make beads, which are then used to create strings of beads of multiple colours. The product range is constantly changing with items made specifically for certain festivals and holidays, as well as what materials they have available.

Not only does this project empower these women to work outside the home and provide for their family, but it also helps with the reduction of waste in a VERY dirty city. Recycling is not widely available here in Bangalore but expats are keen to help in any small way, and most foreigners also support these charities and small businesses by buying the products. The interesting part is that most Indian maids/staff are not interested in any way to purchase these goods. I offered for Lydia to have a look and if there was anything she was interested in, I was happy to buy it for her. She screwed up her nose - 'its recycled madam' - I cannot believe she would say no to a new bag, even if it was only used for bringing her laundry to work to do.

The ladies in this slum will eventually takeover the running of the project and be fully self sufficient. This would mean they are responsible for not only the ideas and project design but also the financial aspects of the business. These skills are priceless in a growing population of 1.2 billion people. Women are not provided with these opportunities very often, so meeting these ladies and seeing them take so much pride in their work is wonderful. Sometimes I wish I had more time and skills to help these ladies more.

Next Open House will be a my house in late May so that we can sell as many products as we can to the ex-pat community, who will be taking gifts home to their family and friends over the summer.