Shrujan is the first social enterprise in the crafts sector to empower embroidery craftswomen of Kutch to use their skill and artistry to earn a dignified livelihood. Today, more than two thousand craftswomen in sixty- six remote villages are part of the Shrujan family. Their economic and social empowerment comes from Shrujan’s commitment to ensure that the craft has an urban market appeal and is sought after by those who cherish the work of the hand. In this way, for the past fifty years and more, Shrujan has ensured livelihood and, in doing so, also helped safeguard a precious cultural heritage.
Shrujan’s journey began in 1969 when Kutch was ravaged by drought.
Mumbai-based Chanda Shroff volunteered for drought-relief work in the village of Dhaneti. She observed that the women dressed in exquisitely embroidered traditional clothing were reluctant to accept charity. It was her genius that recognized that the very skill that the craftswomen possessed could empower them; that, for the first time, embroidery could become an income-generating, dignity-providing resource.
Shrujan’s craftswomen work from home. Our production team reaches fabrics and threads to them in their villages. The women do not have to pay for the materials. Shrujan pays them their fair dues at their doorstep, as soon as they have completed the embroidery.
The textiles are fashioned into high quality apparel, accessories and lifestyle products, and marketed online as well as through Shrujan shops and exhibitions.
Sustainable practices, slow fashion, ethical fair trade practices, minimal wastage, zero wastage – these words and all that they stand for are now enabling the emergence of a more just, respectful and equitable world not only for humans but also for all beings to whom this planet belongs. Shrujan takes a tiny bit of pride for having consciously practised these values from the first day and all through its fifty-plus-year journey with the craftspeople of Kutch.
While Shrujan’s love story with embroidery continues, it also contributes to the other crafts of Kutch.