KOCHI: When one hears the word ‘homemaker’, the picture of a woman who takes care of her family comes to mind. But there is more to a homemaker than that — they are brilliant, creative and talented and during times of need, they use their capabilities to make life easy for themselves and their families.
But unfortunately, most of these women don’t know the vast potential of technology and how it can impact their lives. This is where One Thousand Trinkets, an Instagram page, becomes relevant.
During her stay in Chennai, Dhanya Sujith, a classical dancer and YouTuber, got acquainted with a few homemakers selling homemade food products like snacks to residential areas. “When I sampled their products, I found them to be of the top quality and taste,” she says. But when I asked them how their business is doing, they didn’t seem very enthusiastic,” Dhanya adds.
For these homemakers, patrons of their products were the households in these residential areas. “I realised the need to help these women get a wider reach,” she says. This is how One Thousand Trinkets was born, says Dhanya. The Instagram page provides an avenue for the homemakers to showcase their products and thereby attract buyers.
“Apart from food, homemakers make artwork, decor and even fashion clothes. Some of their designer clothes could compete with products of well-known fashion designers,” she says. One Thousand Trinkets also organises exhibitions to promote the products of its members.
“One such exhibition will be held on Wednesday (May 25) at Avenue Centre in Panampilly Nagar,” says Dhanya, who has been organising exhibitions for the past five years. “I began in Chennai. After coming back home to Kerala, I have organised exhibitions in Kottayam, Thrissur, Pala and other places,” she adds. Every year, she introduces a new set of homemmakers to her service.
“This time around, we will be introducing new homemaker- turned designers,” she quips. According to her, all the 25 stalls at the expo will showcase different types of products. “The exhibition will act as a stepping stone for these homemaker entrepreneurs,” says Dhanya. The exhibition will have a cooking class by seven-year-old YouTuber Iva Xavier and an epoxy painting by 12-year-old Manna Treza Kamal. “Getting them to perform is a move to encourage more children into such activities,” she said.