Handicrafts
Some of the charity’s patients and ex-schoolchildren find it impossible to earn a living. This may be because they are disabled, are illiterate or lack the necessary skills or confidence.
Calcutta Rescue’s fairtrade handicraft project was established to provide employment for these people, giving them the money they need to support themselves and their families and the dignity that comes with work.
India is famed for its handicrafts, and the project produces a wide-range of attractive products using a variety of traditional crafts and materials – from up-cycled silk saris to water hyacinth bags. Designers from Europe come to Kolkata to work with the team, training them in new skills and developing new products that are on trend.
The team, now more than 50-strong, produce beautiful clothes and gift items, made with creativity and care and finished to exacting standards. A single embroidered card, for instance, takes three hours to produce.
Calcutta Rescue’s handicrafts are available at outlets in India and in the West, and can also be purchased directly from the project in Kolkata.