Upasana

Today we had the opportunity to visit an interesting project underway for about 11 years in Auroville - Upasana. At first glance, one sees it as a place that makes organic cotton clothes for sale in relatively upscale stores. For example, a men's shirt costs around R750 or about $17 CDN. That is a lot of money for here.

As you dig deeper you start to understand that this is a project to bring change in at least some communities around Auroville. The cotton is organic grown in various places throughout India. It is harvested, weaved, coloured in the local communities. On really interesting story is Veranassi Weavers. The story can be seen on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3ZvxY8ZnCk

The patterns are then cut by the tailors at Upasana and then the patterns are sent to tailors in communities so that the work impacts the community directly.

They also have another project called small steps. In this one, for R100 or about $2.30CDN you buy a small cloth backpack to do your shopping. This brings an end to the plastic bag which is such a scourge here. This may not seem like such a big step given some stores in Calgary are replaicng plastic with cloth or paper - but here it is a big deal indeed. Plastic garbage lies about everywhere:

This is a typical street garbage scene

the small steps bag

They are also attempting to educate communities about the impact of everyday life on teh environment.

The fifth anniversary of the tsunami is occuring now. There is a celebration in the communities this weekend outlining many of the changes that have occured after the water hit. Many women lost husbands who were out fishing when the tsunami hit. Many children were also lost.

More about the Upasana story can be found at their website http://www.upasana.in/

This is one of the ladies who works there: