When you look up Bandhwari on Google, you will be presented information of a mega landfill, replete with news reports about groundwater contamination, landfill fires, and unchecked dumping.

The second, more tentative line informs you, “It might also mean a social impact project that empowers women of the Bandhwari village.” Women like Sonia Sharma, 40, who saw the changes that the organization was making in the lives of people, and decided to join them six years ago.

Artisans working on upcycled products

Shreya Sinha, founder of Bandhwari, is no stranger to the area.  Ten years after her family’s Incentive Foundation started the skilling program in the village, along with education and healthcare, she created Bandhwari as a separate entity.

There are about 20 artisans with the organization between 20 and 45 years old.

‘Stitching is something that every woman is taught as a life skill,’ says Shreya. ‘We want to bring it as a livelihood for these women.’

The name of the village lends itself perfectly to what the organization seeks to do: ‘Bandh’ meaning stitching together, and ‘wari’ meaning ‘the cycle of’, represents perfectly their focus on upcycled fabric.

While the majority of their raw material comes from recyclers, Bandhwari has also partnered with other organizations for clothes donation drives to power their enterprise.

While Shreya lives in Bangalore, she manages the team remotely and also visits them often.

Joy of artisanship!

Along with an income where there was none earlier, the women also see changes in their agency, with each artisan having a bank account where their earnings are deposited. They are now able to afford things for their child or themselves, and also make those purchasing decisions.

‘It feels good to come here and have some money in the hand. I am able to buy things for myself without asking my husband. I may feel like buying a salwar or bangles for myself, or something for my kids. I can go ahead and buy these now,’ Sonia says.

Geetu Bharadwaj is de facto manager at the centre. She has been with the Foundation and now with Bandhwari for a total of 13 years, nearly since the beginning. ‘I’ve seen the centre grow, and with it, the confidence of the women,’ she says.

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