Sasha

Entally Sasha Textile Artisans Association

It all started in July1983, at the Sasha Annual Producer Group Meetings, where six groups of artisans from rural West Bengal took the first momentous step towards self management. They proposed the formation of local marketing outlets for their products as a means by which they would not only be able to increase their sales and production but also over-come unfair trade practices of commercial middlemen.
The Artisans-weavers, embroiderers, tailors realized that their quality products did command a good price but very often they were forced to accept a pittance from middlemen as there was no organized marketing effort. They decide to change this situation by starting to market each others goods. Outlets were started in Mandra in Hooghly, at Tamluk in Midnapore, at Katwa in Burdwan and at Entally in Calcutta.
Besides there was joint participation in Rural fairs and exhibitions too.
They were unconsciously putting into practice a concept Sasha had always encouraged - placing of ‘group’ before self.
As Sasha grew and the order flow increased, the Association grew, both in number and activities.
Today there are about 25 member groups and several new groups aspiring to be members.

The activities are-

• Sharing of design and orders and so enhancing the capacity of production
• Developing new products and designs
• Formation of common resource centre for procurement and quality control of raw material
• Coordination of and quality control of orders coming to member groups
• Monitoring design and skill up gradation workshops
• Assisting in the development process of new groups
• Helping resolve organizational and interpersonal problems faced by group members
• Sharing of information and exchange of ideas

Starting with a table space in Self Help Handicrafts Society, the association now functions from rented premises and hopes in the near future to have a place of its own. For the first 5 years it was managed entirely by volunteers from the different groups.
Today, its revenue is generated from the 3% service charge that is charged on the orders it coordinates for the members.
At present it employs three full time and two part time staff.
Today the members are working on export orders as well as orders in the national markets. Many groups are attending exhibitions in India and abroad.  There is little time now for the rural markets, though individual groups do participate in community events.

With changing market needs many things have changed. The pressure is on quicker turnovers and better quality. Pricing to has been a sensitive and difficult issue to resolve. But working together has helped the producer groups to support each other to face these challenges.