CHENNAI: With a view to empowering the differently-abled by mainstreaming their innate skills as a means to earn a livelihood, Vidya Sagar, a Chennai-based NGO devoted to the uplift and empowerment of the disabled community, will be holding Mela 2022, its yearly exhibition of handmade products.
The event, held in collaboration with 15 other NGOs across Tamil Nadu, will be held on September 17 and 18 at Vidya Sagar, Kotturpuram. The event will be inaugurated by chess Grand Master Viswanathan Anand, global ambassador for the organisation.
“Vidya Sagar works with different organisations to provide the differently-abled with a platform where they can showcase their skills in arts and crafts and make a living out of it,” says S Mangala Kumari, assistant co-ordinator, adult programmes at Vidya Sagar.
The 2022 edition of the mela, titled Namma Pasanga Angadi, will feature a wide range of handcrafted products displayed in 25 stalls. Products from doormats to handbags and shopping bags, handmade paper, cups and plates, candles and lamps will be up for sale during the event, apart from handloom products like table cloths and table runners.
Special looms were commissioned for the production of handwoven products, like a tabletop loom that enabled easy access, Mangala mentions. A special food court run by the participants themselves will provide snacks and refreshments to the visitors.
The people selling their wares have been given vocational training in the particular skill by the respective NGOs, adds Mangala.
“In Vidya Sagar alone, there are around 17 adults who pursue some kind of vocational training, and they come out with several products like door mats, table mats, table runners, rugs, yoga mats, coasters and 25-30 types of handwoven products. This event is a fundraiser to encourage them to pursue their vocation,” she says, adding that proceeds from the sale will go directly to the community.