Meeting the producers (6)

SPEED Trust, in partnership with the Panchayat Level Federation from Kayar, a remote village, near Kovalam, has trained a new group of women in basketry set up a new group of producers under the Self-help group scheme. 

Baladarshan -sister concern of SPEED Trust- is now proud to support this group in marketing these colorful baskets, from a small village in Tamil Nadu to USA, Canada, Europe, North India, Singapore, Australia and Japan.

Welcome to this group within Baladarshan network! 

Crafts exhibition

Baladarshan got the opportunity to display the handcrafts at Cholamandal Artists Village, Injambakkam, Chennai on November 17th.

Special thanks to Camille Allauzen, Beatrice De Carvalho and Nasrin from Shiraz Cafe for having granted this opportunity on the occasion of the Brunch of the French Community in Chennai.

Herebelow are a few pictures.

Meeting the Producers (5)

 Shri Haji Valimamad Suleman (known as Haji Kaka) resides in Zura village. Belonging to Sindh (Pakistan), his family migrates to Kutch in Gujarat generations ago.  Originally, Haji Kaka family was Hindu Rajput later converted to Islam.  Haji Kaka believes that the Garasiya Maldhari (animal herders) invited his ancestors to the village of Zura, insuring them that they would benefit of all facilities. Nowadays, the Lohar community is around 30 members, most of them are manufacturing bells, while some other are making agricultural tools and equipments. Haji Kaka lives with 10 family members, 5 of them are involved in bells making with him which is the major source of income. Haji Kaka taught his skill to his son, daughter-in-law, daughter and son-in-law along with his grandson Suleman.  He has extended this craft training to more than 30 artisans who run now their own workshop successfully. 

The task of mashing the local clay and mixing cotton into is performed by the women of the family. They shape the bell using with the copper brass powder (known as “Takkankhar” locally) before it goes in the kiln for firing. This process requires high degree of precision and final quality depends on this process.

Haji Kaka is a senior copper bell artisan. He became famous for his ability in providing voice tones to the copper bells. The copper bell artisans are making tones on the demand of Maldharis (animal herders) who need different tones of bell, helping them to locate their cow or buffalo herds grazing in outskirts of the village. Before, many artisans were skilled enough to supply this particular kind of bells, nowadays, only Haji Kaka and two other artisans have this ability. 

But since the demand of bells from Maldharis decreased, Haji Kaka and other artisans had to change significantly the usage of their crafts, converting the bells into wind chimes, musical instruments such the saragema, door bells, etc.  Haji Kaka is fond of music. He plays ‘Morchang’ (a local musical instrument) during the leisure times.

Haji Kaka has been awarded with a Merit Award from the President of India in 2005 and the prestigious Kamaladevi award presented by the Craft Council of India (CII) in 2007.

Photos by Pallon Daruwalla & Subrata Pandey

Kalamkari, Kalamkari

Kalamkari is a fabric traditionally printed with wooden blocks using natural dyes only.

Hundreds of new designs are now available, they can be printed on three different thicknesses of cotton: 80/80 (for home deco and accessories), 60/60 and 30/30 (shirting material).

New Prices lists

Our new prices lists are now published and applicable from Sept. 1st onwards.

To access to the prices lists, please log-on to www.baladarshan.com and download the corresponding ones.

Before ordering, please ask us our order form.

Nos nouvelles listes de prix sont publiées et valables à partir du 1er Septembre.

Pour accéder à nos listes de prix, connectez-vous sur www.baladarshan.com et téléchargez ces listes.

Avant toute commande, merci de nous demander un bon de commande.

Bells, bells, bells

The unique melodic tones that emanate from Kachchh’s metal bells give voice to a centuries-old craft tradition that the Muslim Lohar community brought to Kachchh from Sindh, Pakistan.  These metal bells, burnished in copper and brass, have long adorned the necks of cattle, camels, sheep, and goats which graze in Kachchh’s arid plains.  The bells signify each animal’s status and position in the herd. There are 14 standard sizes which range in length from 2 cm to over 30 cm.  

Only the head of the herd is worthy of wearing the heavy tehra number bell.  Today, the use of Kachchh’s traditional bells has expanded; they hang in entranceways, are combined to make wind chimes, and are used as other forms of festive decoration.  Finely tuned bells are used as musical instruments.  Kachchh’s traditional metal bells are handcrafted by Lohar artisans working in 28 bell making units in Nirona, Bhuj, Nakhatrana, and Ratadia.  

Metal bell craft requires highly refined skills and combined family inputs. First, men shape each bell.  They hammer rectangular strips of recycled metal into a cylindrical hollow.  Then, they weld a dome-like metal crown to the bell’s cylindrical body.  Next, artisans bend and attach a metal strip to the crown so the bell can be hung.  Once the bell is shaped, women dip it in a solution of earth and water.  They cover the wet bells with a mixture of powdered brass and copper. The bell, with its powdered coat, is wrapped in a pancake of local clay and cotton and placed in a kiln to bake. After it is properly baked, the cotton is peeled away and any excess clay is rubbed off.  Each bell is buffed and polished to accentuate its unique metallic lustre that is tinted with shades of yellow, gold, red, and brown.  A ringer, made of a dense wood called sheesham, is attached inside the bell, converting the hollow metal object into a musical work of art.

Artisans carefully hand set each bell’s tone with a tool called an ekalavai, a skill that Kachchh bell makers have mastered.  The quality of a bell’s tone is a reflection of the artisan’s skill and three factors: the size and shape of the bell’s body; the size and shape of the ringer, and the shape and curvature of the bell’s bottom rim. 

The skills needed to shape and tune the bells are difficult to replicate which gives the craft a significant market advantage and contributes to the craft’s success as a local livelihood.  Youth are enthusiastically engaged in the craft and have the potential to spread its practice and influence its future success.  The bell sector is growing however its future growth and sustainability is challenged by inadequate work facilities and technical upgrades, artisan’s inability to access affordable raw materials, a limited product range, and limited marketing and trade skills.     

The sector’s success has resulted in the growth of artisan work facilities. Metal bell making, which was once a home-based craft which was leisurely produced for local markets, is now produced on a larger scale with constant turnover. Today, most artisan units operate mini factory-like workshops.  Due to a lack of necessary capital and artisans’ pattern of daily earning and daily consumption, there has been little investment in bell making work facilities. Workshops are in poor condition and technologies inadequate.  Kachchh’s bell artisans need financial support and guidance to invest in their facilities and new technologies.

Bell metal artisans struggle to access affordable raw materials on which their craft is dependant. Bell making kilns require specially made coal to properly fire the bells. Because there are limited suppliers to this coal, it is sold to artisans at a premium. Artisans must also source brass flake, powder, and borax. They currently purchase these materials piecemeal from local traders. As price is controlled by the traders, these metals are subject to price fluxuations. Kachchh metal bell artisans must consider bulk purchases and alternate sources of raw materials to keep production costs down.

http://www.baladarshan.com/en/metal-crafts.html

                                 





 

The most moving and beautiful testimony towards our producers

Just to show you that i think of you everyday and also how useful are your bags and baskets ....
The first picture are my groceries because they do not give plastic bag in supermarkets
Then my "trash cans" i have 6 differents ones: plastic/packaging, paper, glass, plastic bottles that i have to give back to the store, food, and a last one for the rest... now you know why the big square basket is si useful
Then i made the bowling bag into my diaper/baby bag it goes everywhere my baby goes
Finally the square basket always so useful for anything groceries, beach or swimming pool things but also and more than anything to carry a large sald bowl or a cake that you bring to some friends or to school...
you see i do not give so much news but you are with me everyday.

Clara

Unfair Traders

We have decided to publish hereby the name of unfair traders black-listed because they never replied to our emails, phone calls, etc, in time of settling their due. Hopefully, it will help others, especially small-scale producers groups, not to be abused by people pretending being involved in Fair Trade...

Everyone is invited also to consult the list shared by Fair Trade Federation members (this is NOT an initiative of FTF):

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pqEKQ-Taxb-ntx-jSLT_DKg

Ethic Planet (Aminata Dabo), Antibes, FRANCE, +33 688092518, amydabo@yahoo.fr

Tahoma SARL (Valérie Pineda), Montauroux, FRANCE, +33 494687846, valetdid@club-internet.fr

Kelly Homewood, Hastings, UK, kelliehomewood@msn.com

Good Things (Jean Mc Clure), Rockwood, USA, +1 8653549879, igoodthings@hotmail.com

Trade Appeal (Stephen Roberts), Minneapolis, USA, +1 9529386388, sroberts@tradeappeal.com / http://www.alibaba.com/member/tradeappeal.html

Magic Carpet Travelers (Courtney Ricketts), Lawrence, USA, +1 7858560240, info@magiccarpettraveler.com / http://www.lawrence.com/news/2008/nov/30/style-scout-courtney-ricketts/

The Amazing Kids (Manish Walia), Whooster, USA, +1 3302635053, manish@theamazingkids.com 

Natural Bags formerly Green Living (Loshni Reddy), 140, Tinza Estate, Lonehill, Gauteng, SOUTH AFRICA, +27 83 268 3335, loshni.reddy@vodamail.co.za​, http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Loshni-Reddy/1387751431 (old), http://facebook.com/loshni.reddy.3 (new)

What shall we call UNFAIR TRADERS ?

08/03/2010

Dear Loshni,
Regarding the balance payment of USD 1556.00 due to us since we shipped the last consignment in August 2008, I would like to suggest to you to space out this payment in 10 monthly installments of USD 150 / 1120 ZAR each, payable by cheque (to avoid transfer charges) sent to BALADARSHAN, No5, Ramhari Apt, 174 Lloyds Road, CHENNAI 600 086.
If we would have opted for this option before, I believe that everything would have been cleared in the interest of our both organizations, and I could surrender to them the details required by Reserve Bank Of India in regards on this shipment.
Thanking you and expecting your first installment urgently,
Kindest regards,
Philip

23/02/2011

Dear Loshni,We are still expecting your payment of USD 1556 promised last year before Christmas.

Waiting for your urgent reply,

Philip

05/04/2011

Hi Philip

I intend to settle the amount owing to you by year end. I had other commitments end of last year and was unable to keep my promise. Your payment is now priority and I will touch base closer to the time.

Kind regards,

Loshni

12/04/2011

Dear Loshni,
Following your message dated Apr.5, we really hope that your commitment will be fulfilled within this month end.
Looking forward to read you / hear from you,
Regards,
Philip

30/12/2011

Dear Madam,

Kind Attn Mrs.Loshni Reddy,

Wish you happy healthy bright new year 2012.

Refer to your email communication with Mr.Philip,tomorrow is last day for your promised date for settle our old pending payment from last one year,

We are requesting to you please settle the payment today  positively.

I hope you are settle the payment within two days.

Thanking you

Prasad ks

Manager - Accounts

21/01/2012

Hi Philip

Apologies. As you may realise it was our long summer break hence was unable to respond to your mails earlier. All the best for the new year to you and your family.

I did promise to settle my account with you year end. We have had again an extremely slow year business wise (more so than the last few years) and am still finding it extremely difficult to settle this account. I would appreciate it immensely if you could please look into a matter that was initially of concern to me after my last payment to you of which was a part payment hence the current balance due. It was a late payment and I overpaid due to the exchange rate being much higher compared to the actual time this payment was due. My thinking is that, that extra amount balance off with the current amount due. I am sure you have a record of this as this happened once before with the exchange rate in my favour. You pointed this out to me after which I then settled the extra amount due.

I would appreciate it greatly that you look into this and revert as I am clearly finding it a problem to settle this account. I initially thought that it did not matter due to the community upliftment that you undertake.

I await your response in this regard.

Thanks & kind regards,

Loshni

 

03/02/2012

Hi Philip

I would like for this matter to be resolved as soon as possible. Kindly revert on the status thereof.

Thanks and regards,

Loshni

05/02/2012

Dear Loshni,

We're delighted to hear from you that you want this matter solved asap, so kindly proceed to the payment without delay.

Of course we do not have any more records of exchange rates for the transactions you mention in your email, I just remember that you offered to pay penalty fees for late payment, after 4 years that would be a big amount.

 

03/03/2012

Dear Loshni,

Asap seems to take more time than expected and your complaint to WFTO is not going to be very helpful for the small scale artisans who worked for you.

Kindest regards,

Philip

Wants more ?

World Fair Trade Day - Saturday May 12th

Hopefully one day, every day throughout the year will be a World Fair Trade Day ! In the meantime, let's celebrate on May 12th the World Fair Trade Day.

Espérons qu'un jour, tous les jours de l'année seront une Journée Mondial du Commerce Equitable! En attendant, fétons le 12 mai la Journée mondiale du Commerce Equitable.

What's New ?

We are proud to introduce the latest handwoven basket from our "Pearly collection", the challenging hi-design baskets made by slum women from Chennai: the PINKY basket Ref. SP13D

Pinky Basket

Ref: SP13D

Dim: 33x22x31 cm

Weight: 800g

Material: PELD fiber

Outer lining Pink satin / Inner lining Printed cotton Japanese design

1 zipped pocket + 1 open pocket

Hand-crochet flower dangle

What's new ?

We are delighted to introduce in our catalogue the products made by Uravu, a self-help group we have started to partnering with. 

See: http://baladarshan.blogspot.in/2011/07/meeting-producers-2.html

Interested in these Jute & Bamboo bags ? Just log-in to http://www.baladarshan.com/en/natural-fibres.html

New lacquered wooden items have been also selected: http://www.baladarshan.com/en/wood.html