Delhi lawyer helps weavers to find way out of poverty
Deeply moved by the devastation brought upon India by the second wave, and to find a way out of her own personal grief, Delhi lawyer Talish Ray started a medical helpline. She did this by enlisting the help of a few junior lawyers at her law firm, TRS Law Offices. The helpline that provided verified leads for oxygen/blood/medicines, garnered international attention after a news channel featured it.
"One day, someone called, asking me if we were doing anything for craftsmen. As a lawyer, I had no knowledge about clothes, weaves or colours. But I wondered how I could help them," recalls Ray. Even as she politely said no, the question stayed with her.
A few days later, Heritage Specialist Meenakshi Vashisht, who was recovering from COVID-19, evinced interest in being a part of her helpline, and Ray took it as a divine signal to begin work for craftsmen. The two forged connections with master craftsman at Delhi's Crafts Museum Mushtak Khan and sought a list of weavers struggling to make ends meet. "He gave us the contact numbers of 20 weavers, of which eight agreed to engage with us," she says.
"These master craftsmen are specialised in different weaving styles such as Bagru, Pochampalli, Chikankari, Banarasi, Kanjivaram and Chanderi, etc. We initially thought of creating a website to sell their items, but time was running out. I was most shocked when one weaver told me that he did not even have the money to buy tea!" she shares.
Meanwhile, Lucknow homemaker Mani Tripathi, Namrata Verma Kaul from Singapore, Shruti Mathur from Melbourne and Monika from Paris, and one craftsman from Kashmir, Pashmina weaver Majid Ahmad Mir, joined the group, which was then christened Weavers Resource Bridge.
After brainstorming, the women worked out the SOPs for the project on the lines of a luxury hotel. Then, began the hectic task of calling up relatives and friends, requesting them to buy the ready products. "We gave buyers the weaver's contact number only after being assured that they will purchase at least one item, without bargaining. We also told the weavers to take pride in their work, and not reduce their prices," informs Ray.
The system worked. Not only did their customer base increase, they also got many repeat customers. "As of now, the collective sales are Rs 1.1 crore and by August 15, we expect to touch the Rs 1.30-crore mark," says Ray, after which she wants to close the helpline.
"But we will not disengage from these weavers, rather organise knowledge-sharing workshops for them," adds Ray, currently in Indore, holding a workshop for Maheshwari weavers.