I am guided by two key principles:Ecology and Solidarity. I have worked in India for the past 20 years in the fashion manufacturing industry as a consultant and as a training leader in the artisan blocks. During my work, I encountered huge amounts of fabric waste generated from the fashion industry and the need to train artisans in contemporary design so that their work fetches the due value. In one such workshop, I trained a group of Afghan ladies who I discovered as a community had the necessary skills to make high-fidelity products if aided by contemporary design inputs. I learned from this experience how to work in effecting change through this community that could be more strategic and scalable for implementing myvision.
Delhi, where I am based, is a manufacturing hub in India for the fast fashion industry. The apparel scraps generated from manufacturing end up in city landfills. I found a novel method for up cycling this waste into creating home decor products. I identified a small group of Afghan women refugees, 10 in number in 2018 and started training them to work with waste fabric. My work and idea received attention in the international trade shows I participated in, resulting in my workgroup multiplying from 10 to 70 in just 6 months. I convinced the US-based multi-retail chain, Cost Plus World Market, to collaborate with me on my novel idea of upcycling waste fabric from their garment manufacturing in India to make handicrafts out of it. The collaboration has brought revenue worth 300000 USD to my enterprise.
I have recently started another craft Centre for women refugees (under incubation)where 50 ladies have registered. I am currently conducting a training program in the new Centre.