1. Sasha SFTMS Pilot Project

The pilot project on Sustainable Fair Trade Management System (SFTMS) was set in motion with an Orientation workshop at Sasha on 25th April.

Souvik Banerjee and his colleague facilitated it. Participants were heads of various departments and process owners including Ms. Roopa Mehta, who initiated the workshop with a brief introduction on SFTMS to her team.

The first of the four Orientation workshops for Sasha’s producer partners was also held on 28th April. Thirty producer groups had been prioritised and selected for the pilot project for 2010. In  2011, another 25-30 groups will be included.

The workshop was held at Ushagram Trust, Nadia (a grassroots organisation) and attended by leaders and representatives of six producer groups. The workshop focused on reinforcing the concept of Fair Trade & its standards; introduction to the concept of SFTMS & its implementation; labelling initiatives; fundamental issues related to Fair Trade etc. The workshop involved group discussions, Q & A session and group work to assess understanding of Fair Trade & SFTMS implementation. It was facilitated by Devasmita Sridhar & assisted by SSA.

2. Visit to Sreema Mahila Samity

Sreema Mahila Samity is situated in a remote village of Nadia district. It is one of the oldest micro credit organisations in Eastern India.  It started working with Sasha in 2006. It has multifarious activities and one of them includes this textile group of 17 artisans (all women). The women of the area have traditionally practiced Kantha. But working on orders and maintaining a good quality of work was a major issue.

Kantha made from old saris is the main product the majority of local women practice at their homes. The women collect old saris from the villages and make yardage from them. When Sasha began working with the embroidery group of SMS in 2003, the women had no experience of working in a collective and for the market. Sasha organised a skill up-gradation and design development workshop at Duttaphulia.

The Sasha workshop provided the women an opportunity to learn improved techniques of Kantha stitching and made them aware of quality related issues that are required to face the competitive market. Today, they are a group of vibrant women, receiving continuous orders and their business has seen a steady growth over the last three years under able leadership of Majeda, a young woman from the village.  Apart from skill up-gradation and design inputs, Sasha has regularly assisted them in putting systems in place, managing their own finances and motivating the women.
A group visit report from SSA.

Majeda says, “Even though coming from a very poor background, most of them are hardworking and have been able to supplement their living.”

3.  Sasha Shop Summer exhibition
In the month of April, Sasha shop had an exhibition of its spring/ summer collection of saris, garments and accessories. Cool airy cottons and khadis were the highlights of the range. A range of saris in floral block prints, Tangail, Kantha work and Jamdanis were a great attraction.  Jewellery and mojaris, stoles in summer palettes were displayed to complement the garments.

A brief introduction was given about Sasha, how this not-for-profit organisation works with the disadvantaged and underprivileged craft communities, brings out their talent by giving them proper guidance and helps them market their products through their domestic and retail outlets.
The artists of the evening were -Pandit Shyam Sundar Goswami, a great vocalist trained in the Kirana Gharana, whose inimitable rendition of Khayal  places him in a league of his own.   His mellifluous voice enthralled the audience.  He was accompanied  by the tabla maestro  Pandit Sanjay Mukhopadhaya, Biswajit Roychowdhury on the violin; Sunanda Mukherjee on the sarod and Francoise on tanpura.  
Sreechandra Banerjee, a freelance writer wrote -

“ Enchanting ancient music came flowing in as Pandit Shyam Sundar  Goswami started his recital with the ancient Raga Soizik Kalyan …

Prabhas Sen , the late artist of Shantiniketan, had described Pandit Shyam Sundar Goswami as ‘a jewel’. That he is a jewel was evident as he rendered an ancient Raga of Amir Khusru’s time – Raga Soizic Kalyan. The bandish in Vilambit Ektala was a composition of Ustad Niyamat Khan. As the raga unfolded and took on the drut in teentala, the mesmerizing tranquillity of Raga Kalyan with deft interludes of Soizic transcended the audience to a celestial world.”

As the artists brought the musical soiree to a conclusion, amidst great applause, the guests began to savour the condiments and the snacks especially laid out for them. Staff members played perfect hosts by ensuring that guests and artists had had their fill.

The mood around the table eloquently captured the essence of what had been a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

A Concert of Indian Classical Music  
On the occasion of Poila Baisakh,  an   evening of Indian classical music  was organised at Sasha shop on 17th April.

5. Sasha participated in the Nature Bazaar organised by Motherearth to celebrate an eco-friendly Poila Baisakh at South city Mall, Kolkata from April 9th-14th.  We showcased handicrafts and our Rasa range of personal care products.
It was a wonderful experience and we received an excellent response.

6. Sasha also participated in Earth Day celebrations on 22 and 23rd April with Citibank Kolkata. 
Live demonstrations of Kantha work by artisan association  and hangings group from Crafts Association were organised.

7. Visit  to Korea

Ms Devika Sonar and Ms Swagata Ghosh made a trip to Korea from 10- 17 April

Four customers, one of them a  Fair Trade organization and the others from mainstream  were visited.

There was a lot of appreciation of Sasha products, especially embroidered items. All of them placed sample orders. Also couple of NGOs were visited and they too, placed orders for their companies.

Despite the cold, north wind and freezing weather, the visit was enjoyable. Devika and Swagata enjoyed many different kinds of food especially traditional Korean food. Visit to Insadong , a traditional market was great, as was the night market that they  went to.

Buyers that visited in April were:

EZA,Austria
IM Fair Trade, Sweden
Fabric of Life, Australia