Design cooperation with KKM leprosy colonies

KKM is constituted of four leprosy colonies where about 160 people live overall. Three of the colonies are situated in and around Dheradun and one is in Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, north India. The people live and work in the colonies. They make yarn from cotton or wool. From that they weave and sew textile products like carpets, bags, accessories, pillow cushions, table cloths and more.

The designer, Subhabrata Sadhu, and Noel Das that is one of the administration staff at KKM discuss about what is appropriate for KKM according to design development. .

At first there was some plans that KKM would from raw material produce fabrics that Tibetan Women Center and Deykiling Handicraft Center would use do to make products of. In this way IM Fair Trades supplier groups could be connected with eachother and create job opportunities fo eachother. The discussions between IM, KKM and the designer revealed an uncertainty about the idea to put the responsibility on KKM, which have an output which can be quite irregular. It was agreed that there was no need to chain the suppliers to eachother when a possible delay of KKM would affect the other two suppliers.

However, we looked around at KKM's store where there are lots of textiles. Subhabrata considered that part of it in stock would be appropriate and that this would be good for all parties if it could be used.

- Since they already have some nice fabrics I plan to use their fabric to develop a range of bags and accessories with TWC. Apart from that I intend to design some scarves, cushion covers and tablecloths with them, says Subhabrata Sadhu.


Some of KKM:s artisans.

According to the designer they have their strengths in good skill, good understanding of design and aesthetic, good product with lot of potential in the market and a good production facilitys. The weakness that is facing with KKM is a lack of motivation, lack of young weavers who can produce as per deadline and can work more when required, low time commitment (people work as per their will), unwillingness to improve and work as per order and lack of raw material and stock management.


Some of KKM:s weavers.

Three fabrics were selected from KKM and taken to TWC that sewed two bags and a smaller toilet bag to test the quality and suitability. One of the fabrics was a thin fabric that may be suitable for slightly thinner garments.

/Lilian

Fair trade is a good thing, states Noel from KKM leprosy colony.

- Fair trade is a good thing, it promotes a good working environment for the workers and help the workers to get e decent life and it also gives a better environment, states Noel Das that is working and living at KKM.

Noel Das at KKM leprosy colony in Dheradun.

Noel says he does not have a specific job at KKM, by post he is vice chairman.

- But you can call me assistant manager. I work with different things in the office, work as an assistant for Mr Romal Singh (president of KKM) organizing orders, distribute the work between the artisans and take care of documents and parcels for the export, he says in a good english.

Noel have participated in two work-shops about fair trade arranged by Youdon Tsering and IM. I ask if the society have gone through any changes since they got to know about fair trade and it´s principles.

- Basically, we implemented the principles already since the past even though we did not know of the work as principles so we have not done any major changes, Noel explains.

- IM have been with us since the start of KKM leprosy society and we know each other well. They buy or products, give support for the children and the elderly and if we need any help of some kind we can always ask for help from IM and they can give us support and ideas, says Noel about the contact with IM.

40 percentage of KKM:s money to support the society comes from their own production, the rest is from different donors, both organizations and individuals.

Some of KKM:s products.

Noel had completed his education, he had 12 years of schooling in a boarding school in Dheradun and then got mechanical training. During his training he got some patches on his skin, that often is the first visible signs for leprosy and then some loss of sensation. He found out that he had leprosy and got some medicine but it did not respond properly and Noel got worse.

- My hands became weak and the loss of sensation increased and I did not know what to do, he tells.

That is the reason he first came to KKM leprosy center in December 1999.

- I was not able to work because my weak hands and less and less sensation,he describes and shows descriptive how his hands were affected.

- And who will feed me then? He asks like an open question.

Noel shows his right hand and tell me that he had a operation that reconstructed some parts of the hand.

- It looks okey and it works satisfactory but the things that is gone is gone, the loss of sensation and the nerves that is gone will not come back, he says.

You can not tell by looking at Noel that he had leprosy, if you not look very close at his hand. He is lucky in that sense, many of the people living here have visible damages by the disease and have loss toes, fingers and other body parts.

Noel is married. His wife is also affected by the disease and work as a tailor at KKM, she had five years of schooling before she got to know that she had leprosy and then quit school. They got two children, a boy of eight years old and a girl that is four. The both attend to school quite close to the colony.

KKM, the dyeing section.

In total KKM consist of four different groups which is a home and work for 160 people that is affected by leprosy. Some people have lived and worked at KKM from the beginning of the colonies and some have moved in later, but there are very less people that come to the colonies now a days. The area in the colony is very green and they also grow some vegetables for their own use in the colony. They have sufficient with water and very rare problems with electricity according to Noel. The working hours is usually from 7.30 to 11.30 and then a lunch break until 1.30 and then the working ay is over 17.00. When people are to old or sick to work they are provided with everything that is needed.

Some of the artisans that is working with make yarn at KKM.

- We take care of each other in the society, if someone is sick or too old to take care of themselves their neighbors and other people in the society takes care of them, states Noel.

Text by Lilian Sahlin Pictures by Youdon Tsering