Olsen-Collektion „Double Happiness Collection India 2010“

The Sadhna project in the south of Rajasthan was initiated by Seva Mandir, an Indian partner organisation of Plan International, in 1988. 600 seamstresses and embroiderers from the surrounding villages work within the Indian cooperative, most of them work at home. Their work has helped them to overcome poverty. The fashion company Olsen and Plan have selected Sadhna for their “Double Happiness Collection India 2010”. The light tunics with traditional patterns and colours are decorated with elaborate embroideries. Hundreds of women dressed in colourful saris are sitting together in a large room. A ventilator is whirring quietly under the ceiling. The seamstresses and embroiderers from the surrounding villages are also associates of the Indian cooperative of Sadhna. They take the decisions concerning the future of their cooperative together. They arrange the silk and cotton fabrics themselves, create patterns and designs for saris, blouses and scarves, and they sew and embroider them. Then they sell the hand-made clothes in their own shops and on fairs. Their training takes three months. Earning their own income helps the women to improve their quality of life and their self-esteem. “Sadhna is a project we absolutely wish to support because it matches perfectly with our company. We support women who have a great idea and excellent skills. And we do it in a metier in which we are professionals. We contribute with our know-how in the fields of design, marketing, logistics and export, and in return, we receive great handicraft pieces”, says Dorothee Ingwersen, Communications Manager of Olsen. The seamstresses and embroiderers of Sadhna are delighted that they can learn new things and create even more jobs thanks to the orders of Olsen. “Apart from a regular wage and health insurance we also receive a share of the revenue. In former times I was never able to leave my house. Today I get together with other women. This helps me to develop strength and inspires me to work well and to do my very best”, says Sheila, a 35-year-old seamstress from the village of Delwara. Sadhna’s aim is to empower the women to lead the company without the support of an organisation one day.
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