Sasha Producer Group meeting: The Sasha Producer group meeting, an annual event involving all the Producer Groups in the Sasha family, returned to the state of Orissa this year on the 29th & 30th December 2009. The meeting was held at the Konark, famous for its 13th-century Sun Temple (a World Heritage Site) and the wonderful sea beach. Spread over two days, the meeting was a blend of business sessions, thought-provoking dialogue, engaging discussions, cultural programmes and general sight-seeing.
The 5th Subhashini Kohli Award: The 5th Subhashini Kohli Award for Business Excellence and Fair Trade Compliance was announced at the Annual Producer Group Meeting. The winner was women’s stuffed cotton decorations & hanging group. The award includes cash, citation and a trophy. Joint runners up were: a textiles group & a stuffed cotton decorations & hanging group. The award includes cash & citation. A small but dedicated organisation working in Dhokra and now starting wood received special mention for their efforts & initiatives. The award includes cash & citation.
Producer group incentives: Sasha ploughed back a portion of surplus to groups for artisan benefit - to start savings fund or creating emergency funds or to provide for their medical needs etc. Twenty five groups received incentives
Selection of Producer representatives in Sasha Committee for the year 2010: Four new representatives were elected while three representatives were re-elected.
Sasha Shop Highlights: Sasha shop did very well in the month of January and we had an enjoyable time interacting with the customers. Some visitors emphasized that the very fact that they shop from a fair trade organization really adds value to the product. Pottery section was highlighted with new arrivals of horn products and bamboo tableware from Tripura. Artistic handicrafts and a friendly atmosphere makes Sasha a shopper’s delight!
EFTA Social evaluation: A team from the Netherlands based FTO accompanied by a Bangladesh based Consultancy group visited Sasha for a Social Evaluation on behalf of the EFTA. The week-long evaluation covered Sasha and three of it’s Producer partners. The Evaluation was followed by an interactive session on costing, pricing & wage calculation, participated by the Sasha team & selected producer representatives. The discussion was facilitated by the FTO team and threw up interesting facts on product cost and it’s implication on wages.
Matthew John, Director, Keystone Foundation visits Sasha: Keystone has been working in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve over the last 15 years (since 1995) with indigenous communities on eco-development initiatives. Matthew shared the Foundation’s work in the areas of apiculture, land development, organic & fair trade marketing, non timber forest produce and many more.
Fair Trade Fair Mumbai: Fair Trade Fair 2010 is being held this year in Mumbai. The 2010 Fair is being jointly hosted by FTF-India and Sasha in association with Creative Handicrafts and IRFT. Preparations were in full swing in January to make the event a success. The Fair will provide customers an opportunity to purchase select crafts and textile items made by craftspersons and weavers across the country under one roof.
Sasha & Lingaraj Arts: Lingaraj Arts is a not-for-profit organization founded by a renowned master craftsperson, an expert in stone carving. The organisation is a “Gurukul” based on the ancient “Guru-Shishya” tradition. Young men are trained in a residential set-up. The artisans have been engaged in producing stones statues, idols of Gods & Goddesses; Sasha has been associated with Lingaraj since 1993 and recently been assisting the community to use their traditional skills to produce contemporary products. Introduction of better techniques, machines and equipments has enhanced the quality of the products, in efficient and hygienic conditions. The specific carving and polishing tools introduced, increase productivity, reduce rejections, bring down production cost and allow for better returns to the craftsperson
Read more about sasha's Fair Trade Day Celebrations in Calcutta
Read about the Producer Group Meeting at Konark December 2009
Producer Group Meeting
sasha shop
EFTA Evaluation
EFTA Evaluation
Sculptor from Lingaraj Arts
Recent Events
Read about all the events at the sasha 30 years celebrations - click on the links below
Read about the Producer Group Meeting at Calcutta 2009
Read about the Producer Group Meeting at Shantiniketan - 2007
Read more