Empowerment is not just about earning or formal literacy, but about what happens along the way. At Ohrna, inspired voices of the women artisans with whom we work, become our purpose.
Jyoti, our studio assistant in Pune, had never held a scissor in her life and was scared to cut scrap paper. She gradually learned to cut fabric confidently, and being able to do so made her feel stronger! She couldn't write but loved to draw; and drawing icon-based product instructions for our ready-to-sew Makers Kits that we send to the village, became her exciting activity.
Vinita, one of our artisans in Lonand village, expressed 'फुलनाहीतरपाकळीसही', which means ‘even if it is just a petal and not the whole flower, it is mine. I have earned it and am proud of my accomplishment.’ Born in a typical rural family, Vinita’s education ended after 10th grade. Working mainly on the family farm after marriage, Vinita’s story of grit reflects the self-belief that Ohrna aims to create.
Vinita was excited to work with Ohrna - it was not just money but also the art. She has become more courageous and confident, and learned the value of time. She has learned also to be a perfectionist and loves making mats and runners.
Salma, an artisan from Hubli, brought her son to one of our workshops because she couldn’t leave him at home alone. He only had scraps of cloth, newspaper pieces and chalk to play with throughout the day as she worked on her new mat design but he was just as full of glee at the end of the day as he was at the start!
Vishakha hails from India’s lush green Konkan region, known for people who are generous. A heavy workload on the farm forced her to drop out of school in the 12th grade. Longing to work, she was determined to find a path to self-employment that led her to Ohrna.
Vishakha feels motivated because the products represent women like her. Among new things she has learnt at Ohrna besides embroidery, were sticking to deadlines and the value of time. Though nervous initially, she is confident now and enjoys the art. A stitch worked is a penny earned and Vishakha puts away her entire earnings to buy gold jewelry for her daughter’s wedding, while working on her own schedule.
Seema felt ‘there should be more to life than just school, getting married, having children and then going away from this world– is this all what life is about?’ Her deep desire to do something for herself as well as women like her led her on a search for work to the Manndeshi Foundation, which then connected her to Ohrna. ‘After seeing the global world through Ohrna, I feel awakened’, she adds.
Seema expects that Ohrna will create the opportunity for her to train more women who will then be able to earn, and the art will also stay alive. ‘In life, we may have less, but it should be satisfying,’ she concludes.
Ohrna is inspired and enriched by these women, making it much more than an enterprise.
Ohrna believes in responsible design. Our focus is use of sustainable materials, employment of rural women, preservation of rich craft traditions and packaging in up cycled materials.
We train for free and often employ women with minimum skills. We design to customers' needs and also constantly adapt our designs for ease of making, for our makers. Most of our artisans are from Mann Deshi Foundation.