KOCHI: Hundreds of techies from Infopark have extended their support to Chendamangalam weavers, by making and distributing more than 4,000 Chekutty dolls made out of stained and torn handloom clothes from the flood-hit Chendamangalam.
This gesture by the IT professionals can help the traditional handloom weavers at Chendamangalam regain their lost glory. The ‘Chekutty’ is an initiative by which dolls are made of soiled garments from the flood-hit looms of Chendamangalam in order to help the weavers to weave their life back.
The flood-affected Chendamangalam Handloom Society received support and help from several parts of the world. “It is very encouraging for us to be part of this campaign. We feel like we are doing something for the society instead of just being in front of computers,” said a techie staying in Kochi.
Progressive techies
“Being a part of the ‘Chekutty’ campaign and rebuilding Kerala has been really a great experience. For the past three to four weeks, techies have immersed themselves in the making of the dolls. During the first week itself, we have got over 1,000 orders from techies”, said Anish Panthalani, Secretary of ‘Progressive Techies’.
The techies are confident that they will be able to sell to more than 90 IT companies over ten thousand ‘Chekutty dolls’ made out of severely damaged handloom stock. “Each piece of the doll is priced at `25, which is quite affordable for a common man. These dolls can be used for decorating homes,” said Ashwini, a techie.
More than 300 techies have joined together in the making of Chekutty dolls. “Floods have ruined most of the industries and damaged several homes in the state. We joined the campaign with the aim of rebuilding Kerala,” said Lakshmi, a member of ‘Progressive Techies’.