Sunita and Suhas Ramegowda run ‘The Excellent Reward’, a startup this is bringing again the age-old observe of creating rag dolls primarily based round craft-making. Whilst doing so, they have got averted 8,000 kg of textile waste from coming into the landfills and empowered no less than 200 tribal girls within the Nilgiris.
Rising up in West Bengal as a tender lady within the 80s, Sunita Ramegowda sought after one thing to cuddle which might remind her of her daadi’s (grandmother’s) heat hugs. Her daadi would then sew previous garments or rags in combination to make a doll which Sunita would lovingly raise round with herself all day.
“I take note my grandmother used to stitch the lengthy fall fabric onto the hem of her sarees. That piece of material used to be robust and would no longer tear simply although the saree itself would. She would then take away the autumn and upcycle it right into a doll for me,” she reminisces.
Sunita carried those recollections the entire as far back as her startup, ‘The Excellent Items’, that producers material dolls upcycled from pre-owned textile waste.
“All our grandmothers used to make dolls from previous garments but if plastic got here in, other people stopped this tradition. We took this age-old idea of creating rag dolls and gave it a modern glance,” says Suhas Ramegowda, Sunita’s husband.
“We designed our dolls in the sort of means that the clothes are changeable. Those clothes are very detailed and provides an actual revel in to the kid. With other pores and skin tones and facial expressions, kids have a look at dolls and get dressed them up like their ajja-ajji (grandparents), mama (maternal uncle) and extra,” he provides.
Now not most effective are those dolls just right for youngsters but in addition for the planet, whilst offering an employment alternative to tribal girls artisans. With the startup, Sunita and Suhas have empowered 230 girls from tribal communities of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu.
Apparently, they have got averted 8,000 kg of textile waste from coming into the landfills as neatly.
One house, two other lives
After their marriage, Suhas and Sunita settled in Bengaluru and labored within the company sector for no less than 15 years.
“However one thing used to be lacking from our lives. We weren’t content material and didn’t in finding any objective within the paintings that we did. So, Sunita and I determined to transport to a rural setup. We have been carried out with the hustle of town lifestyles and sought after to determine what makes us satisfied,” he says.
In 2017, the couple moved to the picturesque Nilgiris mountains with an concept to reside off grid, surrounded through nature. “We constructed our house with our personal fingers the use of dust andstarted rising our personal meals, harvesting water from mountain streams and harnessing solar power for electrical energy,” he stocks.
Whilst the couple switched to a sustainable and minimalistic way of life, they seen and famous that the similar way of life used to be a fight for rural communities. “Even supposing we lived in the similar setting, our lives have been so other and solid on account of our financial savings. However livelihood used to be an on a regular basis problem for the tribal other people dwelling right here,” says Suhas.
Sunita informs that agriculture used to be no longer the primary career within the area and tourism additionally remained affected. “Rather then tea selecting, there used to be no different common paintings for rural girls. Each and every morning, they would go away their properties and children in the back of to paintings in different villages,” she provides.
That’s when the couple determined to provide again to the group, who have been now their neighbours.
Taking frame certain material dolls to children
Just about 5 years again in 2019, the duo established the Indian Yards Basis, a social undertaking to reinforce the socio-economic standing of tribal communities in Nilgiris thru crafts.
Sunita explains how she has all the time been prone against craft-making. “Even if I used to be running, I all the time discovered time to embroider and crochet. I might analysis so much on more than a few crafts and discover ways to lead them to from YouTube. This gave me the speculation of hanging girls and craft-making in combination and seeing if we will be able to construct an answer round it,” she says.
Beginning with patchwork quilts, macrame, and residential decor merchandise, the couple began upskilling tribal girls.
“Via upskilling and capability development, we attempted to lend a hand girls turn out to be marketers and no longer simply staff in a manufacturing facility. Then again, simply coaching them used to be no longer enough. We wanted marketplace linkage and fortify to resolve livelihood issues,” stocks Suhas.
This want resulted in the formation of The Excellent Reward in early 2023. Serving as the selling arm of the Indian Yards Basis, the startup fosters financial empowerment of tribal girls.
“We created a web page to take the product to the marketplace. The whole lot used to be flowing easily however we nonetheless had no longer reached our hero product. So, we experimented with more than one merchandise and in any case zeroed in on material dolls and toys,” says Sunita.
“There’s a rising section which is shifting clear of plastic, and fogeys are not looking for their kids enjoying with plastic toys anymore as they aren’t most effective hazardous to the surroundings but in addition to our well being,” she provides .
Preserving sustainability intrinsic to the logo, the couple strived handy craft material dolls the use of upcycled textile waste. “As a substitute of shopping for new uncooked subject matter, we would have liked to be as sustainable as imaginable. In garment factories, there may be a large number of waste submit manufacturing and no longer all the subject matter is utilised. So, we retrieve off-cuts from the bedsheets and cushions, extra subject matter, material with mistaken prints from factories,” informs Sunita.
In the meantime, the couple additionally focussed on conserving their material dolls frame certain.
“Plastic Barbie dolls have created a undeniable good looks same old, for instance a picture of sure determine, pointy nostril, and sure color. This created mistaken notions in kids’s minds. We additionally need to exchange this idea. We endorse frame positivity, more than a few colors and pores and skin tones. In any case, it’s thru those dolls that kids know about good looks requirements,” she provides.
Inside of a yr, the couple has been in a position to enlarge the paintings in B2B and made their presence throughout 60 offline shops in Chennai, Bengaluru, Goa, Ooty, and Coonor.
Each and every month, they promote 3,000 material dolls. Ultimate monetary yr, they clocked in a earnings of Rs 75 lakh.
“We’re satisfied that with this paintings, we’re in a position to impart new abilities and make sure financial advantages for tribal girls. The cycle is entire most effective when girls get started getting cash out of it, and don’t practise craft simply as a interest,” she says.
“These days, maximum of our girls have higher their per 30 days earning from Rs 2,000 to Rs 8-10,000. Years again after we moved to the Nilgiris, we hadn’t was hoping to deliver this variation. There may be not anything extra enjoyable than it,” says Sunita.
Edited through Padmashree Pande. All pictures: Suhas Ramegowda.