Painting pictures on the skeletons of Peepal leaves is a traditional Indian art form. Peepal trees grow large:
On the shores of the Neyyar dam reservoir, at a beautiful spot
we have a centre for the production of cards bearing these painted leaves. Disadvantaged women – widows, women whose husbands have abandoned them, women whose husbands are unable to work – come and are trained in painting skills
Leaves are harvested and soaked in water for about six weeks so that the green material becomes soft and can be carefully removed
The leaves are dried, pressed flat and then an outline of the picture is printed on them using a silk screen printing process
And then the leaves are painted, either at home in a form of cottage industry, or in a communal setting which allows for plenty of interaction and socialising
Sometimes the latest technology is used. And everyone is free to join in (it’s all right – we don’t use child labour!)
The leaves are then mounted on cards which you can buy here.
Other women prefer something more practical. For these we provide sewing training. A teacher comes in daily and up to twenty women come and learn tailoring skills over a six month period. Often these are women who have been abandoned by their husbands (something that happens all too often in India), whose husbands are alcoholics who do not provide for their families, are on workfare, or who are unable to leave their homes to find work.
Tailoring training
For some of these we subsidise the cost of a sewing machine. They may be able to provide the rest or borrow the balance from a credit union at a nominal rate of interest.
One person whom we helped recently is Mrs.Vijayamma, an neglected wife and mother whose husband spends whatever money he earns on alcohol. As a consequence the family was desperately poor. After completing the tailoring course she had no money for a sewing machine so we helped her to buy one. She is now earning an income, enabling her to feed her children and send them to school.
Mrs.Vijayamma
The scheme has been very successful. About three quarters of the women go on to use their skills, either in a cottage industry or working for an employer. There is a great demand in the area for high quality bespoke clothing, and so there is no shortage of opportunity to use such skills.
There is a demand for a second such course in another village. We would like to do this if we can raise the funding needed (£800 start-up costs plus £1400 a year).