During my childhood I felt a connection with India, it became my second home. I fell in love for the first time in 2006 and since then I traveled many times with my husband Rob.

Three years ago we went to Bhuj and stayed with the lovely family of Kuldip Gadhvi.  It was such an amazing experience and a great homestay.  A hospitality which I didn’t felt before…. After five days we continued our travel and I cried a lot and decided to come back. They stayed in my heart and I was so impressed of the beauty of Kutch.

Last December we came back and I asked Kuldip before if he could arrange a weaving workshop for me and he did. I was happy and I was looking forward to do this. Last year I bought my first handloom and I followed weaving lessons. It was a continue process of development my handicraft skills,  my dream cane true…be a part for two days of Indian handcrafting.  Making my own connection between India and myself in a special way.

By tuk-tuk I went to the weavers’ village Bhujodi and Haresh picked me up by motor on the border of this village. I didn’t know what to expect and it was such a surprise to arrive in this small community. I got a warm welcome and I was curious about their way of living. I became a part of this family for two days. No rush only be there…..

Haresh and his uncle were weaving on their own handlooms and Haresh offered his.  He helped me a lot before I started to weave. In the meanwhile I talked a lot with his wife and she made for two days delicious food on woodfire.  And I love Indian food so I observed her way of cooking.

Haresh showed me the way of spinning with one hand,  It was a little bit hard for me because I use to spin with two hands,  soon I will get a charkha of a Indian friend and so I can practice spinning like Gandhiji  did. I realized to be there was not only for the experience of weaving, I shared, talked, felt and it was so much more…sometimes words can’t express the feelings.  But if you have been there, you will understand what I mean.

On the first day Haresh was busy to prepare the handloom, like making the warp. I helped too……     a bit. 😊 On the second day I started to weave, making a shawl. Haresh was such a friendly and patience man and I learned from him.  He taught me to start with an easy traditional pattern, I worked very hard and at the end of the afternoon I felt my muscles and Haresh finished the last part of the shawl…I was very grateful. I got a certificate from him and it was such a precious gift.

I felt in love with this place and small community and I hope next year to visit this family again and to give Haresh a present made by me. Thank you Kuldip to make my dream come true.

-Sandra Baar (The Netherlands)

Voice of Artisan during Covid-19 - Live discussion between Kuldip Gadhvi (United Artisans of Kutch) and Nareshbhai Siju (Dyer and Weaver from Bhujodi)

 Kuldipbhai: “Today we are going live with Nareshbhai (dyer and weaver) from Bhujodi village of Kutch. The purpose of going live is to hear voice of artisans and their emotions, circumstances, everything that they are going through during this pandemic. These are some of the Highlights (translation)

You invited me to go live so that we can discuss about the topics related to local artisans of Kutch, those things that world might not be aware of.”

Nareshbhai: “Right now many small artisans who were depended on “Big Artisans” (it means those who have big business/workshops/network and who could employ reasonable number of local artisans), are not receiving any orders and hence entire channel is affected.

Kuldipbhai:  “Generally we are promoting and advocating for smaller artisans however right now we don’t mind even if these Big Artisans/businesses/Shops receiving orders post lockdown because right now many small artisans who are depended on them, need some work and money to sustain their basic family needs.

Since you are in touch with many artisans on social Medias as well as direct contact, please tell us if something that we haven’t heard yet from any of these artisans on various online platforms and if we can share it over here.”

Nareshbhai: “First of all there were some local artisans who expressed their gratitude and are hopeful that this type of live session could help them somehow.”

Kuldipbhai: “That’s what our objective is to give these smaller artisans a chance to share their voice (whatever they want to share) with us in their Native language because there are many artisans who are associated with NGOs, Designers, Government Departments, etc but do not speaks Hindi or English and hence they could not directly communicate their voices or sometimes they are afraid/uncomfortable to share their views under any kind of fear. (I.e. Small artisan might not open up freely with somebody who is in big authority in this industry, positioned somewhere in Big Cities (Delhi) but they feel more comfortable talking to people like me, on the ground.)”

Nareshbhai: “There are some weavers in villages who are working as laborers in the fields because there is no work since the beginning of this lockdown. And also there are some other weavers who do not know anything else but weaving and have no work. These weavers are requesting any kind of support (from relevant authorities/buyers/organizations) or moral support at least.”

Kuldipbhai suggested: We could do one thing once lockdown is lifted, is to give priority to these types of smaller/needy artisans. If all NGOs, Big Businesses, Workshops, Big Artisans agrees to support smaller and needy artisans by prioritizing them for first few months post lockdown, then these artisans would no need to stress/worry much. (I.e. someone like me who could feed his family for few months without earning extra, should give priority to those who would starve/panic after few weeks from now.)”

Something like a “Moral Pledge” Since Kutch has comparatively smaller population, if one artisan decides to help five other artisans, even for a short while, we could make a big recovery.  If local people start supporting, purchasing local production (textile or anything else) even if local produces are bit expensive than outsourced mass produced from other areas), it could make a huge difference locally”

Nareshbhai: “I am happy to pass my potential order to other weavers to begin this exercise.”

Social Message: Imagine if more and more people in the world, within their reach, decide to prioritize people who are vulnerable, needy, poor, and weak; we can Change the World..!

Issue: During the discussion we found out that Raw Materials are not available in the market and hopefully post lockdown-4, by beginning of June, likely to be available. Hopefully artisans will get busy with work.

Kuldipbhai suggested: “We could also circulate any updates regarding market, business related among the various group of artisans. That could also be very helpful to many. As well sharing information, procedure, any other useful information about latest Government Scheme in which many of these small businesses could avail loan of Rs.1 lakh (one hundred thousand rupees), would be very useful to those who are not literate or not much clear how it works.”

Nareshbhai shared: “Good news is that the Weavers’ Association Bhujodi is active and sharing lot of useful information as well as trying to resolve issues related to weavers.”

Kuldipbhai: “is there anything we are missing in this live session, please bring it forward. Hopefully there will be enough work orders to many of these artisans post lockdown as many people, Organizations all over the world are sensitive and caring for these smaller artisans.”

This was a short attempt to give chance to artisans and hear their voices directly and share some insights. Thanks for sharing. If you speak Kutchi Dialect, you could watch it on IGTV : https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAt_t1iJcPQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Kuldip Gadhvi

(on behalf of United Artisans of Kutch)

The Handloom Room In Conversation with: the United Artisans of Kutch

"In 2015, I had the absolute pleasure of meeting and spending a few days with Kuldip Gadhvi, through his award-winning responsible tourism business Kutch Adventures India. He took us on an incredible trip through the rural region of Kutch, Gujarat and enabled us to visit some artisans in small villages amid the vast grasslands and desert. He also now collaborates with artisans as part of the United Artisans of Kutch project, supporting small-scale, traditional craftspeople to market their work, maintain a livelihood through their heritage skills and preserve the unique culture of the area. I asked some questions to Kuldip and Haresh Manodhiya, the weaver who's colourful handwoven scarves are featured in the Handloom Room (which I am so overjoyed about!). I am delighted to be able to share with you this very special interview...

What is the significance of handweaving to you and the Kutch area?

Handweaving has been our cultural identity for several generations. In fact we are known as "Weavers" even if some of us do not weave anymore. Weaving and some other traditional crafts/knowledge/skills comes next after farming and cattle rearing. It has been part of our civilization at least for 10000 years or even more. Lot of people in Kutch have been wearing various types of hand woven clothes before textile looms/machines were invented. Today weaving - along with few other traditional crafts - is one of the reasons why visitors come to Kutch.

Are there any meanings or stories attached to the patterns that you create?

Indeed. Some of the patterns represent daily life that contains farming, religious symbols and some everyday scenes or objects. However many of our traditional designs are so old that one can never confirm what they mean, how long they have been used or where exactly they come from. It is as complex as how any civilization formed in the first place. Various factors including geography, religion, cultural practices, various skills and their never ending evolution from time to time, from person to person, all play a part.

What does a normal weaving day look like? Do you have people helping you?

A normal weaving day starts after morning routine, at around 8 or 9 am and it changes season to season. It involves almost every family member of the weaver because weaving involves warping, spinning, filling bobbins, setting a loom, starching yarns, occasional dyeing, actual weaving on the loom, finishing, washing, etc.

In between the process, the weaver will be sipping chai, attending neighbours, visitors, daily routine of vegetable or grocery shopping, occasional festivals, family visitors and family problems.  Usually a young weaver starts full time weaving from age of 16-18 and works most of their life (50+ years) and then retires gradually. Women do a lot of house work, cooking, looking after children their involvement in weaving varies from family to family. Regardless, there are some tasks such as filling bobbins, starching, warping the yarn and finishing woven products that are usually done by women in Kutch.

Has the practice of weaving in Kutch changed in recent times?

Yes, since the Earthquake of 2001, a lot of things have changed in Kutch including weaving, for the following reasons. There are new factories and other industries where some traditional weavers and artisans are now working. School education has become more necessary for many children (including weavers) which means they are no longer obliged to become a weaver like their fathers and forefathers, who never had access to education or choices. There is a growth in the tourism industry here in Kutch which has made hand loom weaving and other traditional crafts more profitable. Those who are continuing to weave as a businesses are making a good living out of it.

In addition, the internet has opened up the market and created the possibility to learn new colours and designs. Weaving has evolved and creative work is ever increasing, now some weavers are dealing with big fashion designers and international clients which never happened before in the history of this area. Altogether the future of weaving is much brighter as long as people continue to understand the importance of this traditional knowledge and skill.

Tell us about using organic cotton and natural dyes - is there a resurgence happening in Kutch?

Yes, in the past 20 years more and more customers have become aware of organic cotton, its benefit to nature as well as to humans - both those who are involved in the farming and  the people who wear the products. It is still in revival stages at the moment, so it is most popular among people who value and understand the chain. There is a long way to go before it becomes everyone's cup of tea, and before everyone can afford to buy organic cotton products. Non organic cotton (GM) is still dominating and use of petrochemical fertilizers is still huge and impacting our water, earth and air.

*You can see Haresh's beautiful organic collection here

How have you been affected by the pandemic?

The pandemic has affected us badly because there has been no tourism this year, no festivals or events. This means there has been no demand for textiles and in India every community is so big (population wise) that the pandemic has affected everyone who makes their living out of tourism or handicrafts. Fortunately some international clients/friends have been purchasing, placing small orders to support us and keep us going. Since October, the Indian market has been improving for many businesses, so people have been happy to start earning again after long halt. But it will take long time to completely recover from the loss we have experienced because of the pandemic and also the post lockdown impact.

What's your top tip for other weavers?!

Top tip for other weavers is do not stop weaving because it's a rare skill and gift that the world needs badly. Human existence on Earth can be less violent or stressful if we could maintain number of farmers, cattle breeders, traditional knowledge and skilled workers because in future these people are the only hope for sustaining mankind during/after any disasters, whether natural or man-made.

Do you have any other comments to share?

Thanks for inviting us to share our views, and understanding and supporting us in the most humane and friendly way that any business must never forget. After all, we all are humans and our future generations will learn from how we are dealing with one another. So let's set a beautiful example for the world.

With Love and Peace,

Kuldip Gadhvi & Haresh Manodhiya

(United Artisans of Kutch)

"Six months ago, I had never heard of Kutch, Gujarat. I only knew I was coming to India with the plan to study yoga and max out my visa experiencing the land, culture, and people (it’s actually sort of an anti-plan plan).

I got in touch with Kuldip @kutch_adventures_india for the first time on Facebook, when I posted on a page dedicated to travelers in India — “has anyone volunteered on fun projects or with people they would recommend?” Kuldip wrote back saying he’d never participated in a work exchange before, but that if I wanted to check out his page and collaborate, he was game. So, that’s what I did. I resonated with his message, which was focused on bringing art-loving tourists directly to the artisans who make their goods (it turns out Kutch is a hot spot for arts and crafts).

So, my anti-plan plan became a little more colored-in, including a stop on my journey so I could work with and support United Artisans of Kutch in some way. Once I arrived the clock was ticking, as I had just two weeks to contribute before moving on to my yoga program. With this in mind, I worked with a family of weavers in the nearby village of Bhujodi. Hareshbhai, Rasila, Babubhai, Amruta, Parvati, Lakshmi, Gorri, and all the members of this colorful family were so open and spontaneous, it felt I had a whole film crew and creative team working with me…At the end of the two days, I had captured so much more of their work, personalities, and regular life than I ever anticipated.

As I write this, I still have footage to edit, pictures to choose, and stories to tell, but Kuldip and I first wanted to communicate this: getting involved is often simpler than we imagine. While applying for a grant, studying, or formally working for an organization are all part of the solution, don’t miss out on the chance to explore, write to a stranger, and dive into something with little more than good intentions and a willingness to help."

By @mackenzie_stratton

Who Volunteered for @united_artisans_of_kutch in November 2022.

If you are someone who is looking forward for informally volunteering opportunities, feel free to reach us out.

One step at a time 😊🌿🙏

#unitedartisansofkutch #voluneering #bethechange #therealmakers #onestepatatime