Shrujan (India)

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Shrujan is a non-profit organization (NGO) founded in 1969 by Ms. Chandaben Shroff. Shroff had just visited the Kutch area in Gujarat, India, in order to help with famine relief after a severe drought. Realizing that many of local women were excellent embroiderers, she began an income-generating project with women producing up-market embroidered saris. This decision resulted in Shrujan.

The goal of Shrujan is to encourage and create economic sustainability for village artisans and female embroiderers in particular. All embroidery materials needed, for example, are provided free of charge to the embroiderers, who are paid for their work immediately after it is finished.

From early on, the embroiderers were encouraged to decorate saris. At first this was a problem, as Kutch women do not traditionally wear this garment. Instead they wear a bodice, skirt and head covering. As a result the embroiderers did not realise where the cloth had to be embroidered and where not (a significant part of a sari cloth is wrapped several times around the body and is not visible). So it took some time before a range of saris could be embroidered.

The first exhibition of Shrujan saris was organized in Mumbai in October 1969 and the profits were re-invested in the organization. Since then there have been numerous exhibitions featuring Shrujan work. By the beginning of the twenty-first century, Shrujan currently works with 3,500 women, using sixteen different embroidery styles (including Kharek, Jat, Rabari and Suf), in one hundred villages. In addition to providing materials, Shrujan also provides training in organizational and business skills and regularly visits individuals and groups of artisans. Shrujan has offices and shops in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mumbai and Vadodara. The range of embroidered items on offer by Shrujan includes embroidered bags, belts, clothing, cushion covers and wall hangings.

Address: Shrujan, behind GEB Sub-station, Post Bhujodi, Bhuj-Kutch 370 020, Gujarat, India. Tel. +91 2832 240272 / 241903 / 394360. Fax: +91 2832 241902.

Digital sources:

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 28 June 2016).

SA

Last modified on Saturday, 29 April 2017 12:56
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