National Handloom Day: A moment of appreciation for these NGOs promoting the handloom industry!

While a lot of businesses and people support local art handcrafts, on National Handloom Day, we are aiming to spread awareness about those NGOs promoting the handloom industry by directly impacting the lives of artisans.

India outshines with its traditions, and the biggest reason for this goes to upholding the ancient cultures by Indians to date. One such ancient culture in our country is weaving textiles to make end numbers of handcrafted designs, apparel, and other things. Hence, on this National Handloom Day, we are talking about a few NGOs promoting the handloom industry. Let's know about them and their initiatives to support the lives of artisans.

1. WomenWeave

This Khargone, Madhya Pradesh-based NGO was established in 2002 by Sally Hollar, the wife of the son of the last Maharaja of the Holkar State, to help the weavers of Maheshwar. Since then, the NGO has been providing sustainable employment to almost 300 through handloom weaving. The NGO connects the weavers to the customers and also provides skill training to them.

Website: WomenWeave

2.  Craftizen

This NGO was set up in 2014 in Bengaluru, Karnataka to preserve Indian craft skills by supporting traditional artisans and marginalized communities. Nearly 2000 artisans are involved here in Banjara and Aari embroidery, tailoring, fabric painting, hand block and screen printing, Kantha stitch, jewellery from bena grass, natural seeds, and beads.

Website: Craftizen

3. Habba

Founded in 2016, this KarnataFounded in 2016, this Karnataka's Bengaluru-based NGO aims to give artisans a means of livelihood through involving them in making Ajrakh, Kalamkari, and other crafts. The NGO had received great popularity as it had sent the hand-weaved rakhis to our Indian Army personnel. In fact, the NGO justifies its meaning, 'festival' in Kannada, since it aims to make every day a festival for artisans!

Website: Habba

4. Chitrika Foundation

Since its inception in 2006, the Chitrika Foundation, based in Hyderabad, Telangana, are working with weavers in the Khadi cluster villages. They have also established two social enterprises involving 300 women weavers, who produce sarees, popular in the area as 'Chitrika Sarees' for its quality and designs.

Website: Chitrika Foundation

5. The Hans Foundation

Through its initiative, the NGO Himadri Hans Handloom, which was started in the year 2002, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, aims to make the state's handloom and handcrafted textiles reach the international markets while also imparting technical and design skills to rural women artisans of Kumaon region. The organization works with nearly 5000 women weavers of Uttarakhand.

Website: The Hans Foundation

Also Read: With quirky quilts and colourful toy pillows, these Uttarakhand women from ‘Purkal Stree Shakti’ are quilting joys!

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