Creation of teaching modules

Not much is needed to start. Just take some left-over materials, scraps of various colors, add eye catching thread, a needle and ten or fifteen minutes of your time. Use the little doll to give a present a little extra touch, pin her on a blouse, blazer or bag... Once you discover her charm you will find numerous opportunities to use her...

Creating her takes four steps.

1

Form her head, make it nicely round and leave a little extra to give her a body.

2

Dress her colorfully and combine the two pieces with smashing fluorescent thread.

3

Fix a black hood and embroider-paint her a pretty face...

4

...give her a big smile and voila, Tsunamika is born.

Training the Ladies

Before the actual workshop is given, an introduction week is conducted by two designers.. They vividly explain the process to the participating ladies whose faces initially show a captivating range from skepticism to laughter. After lively discussions about the pro’s and con's of the venture, they make a commitment to come the next week and join the five half-days workshop.

The venue can be a shady temple area, an empty building or simply under a tree. At two o'clock the Upasana team arrived on the spot. Slowly, the message spread around the village and ladies started gathering some half hour later. Once they were all there, groups of six or seven were formed in order to make the process more organized. Each group was supplied with a tray containing all the materials required for making the doll, and sample dolls were passed around for their reference. Then instructor Vimal started showing them how to make the dolls and found the ladies eager to do one by themselves. The first hurdle was the head, but when they discovered how easy it was, they really got into the process enthusiastically.

Lots of doubts, excuses, laughing, and peeping among the groups was happening. Also the designer team had good fun during the training.. The end of the day saw lots of dolls, some with squinting eyes, some with a nose on the forehead, some big headed etc, and also some good ones had come up. The dolls were given to them so that they could show it to their family.

During the training sessions there were lots of kids around because they only have half a day school. Someone had to make them sit and keep them busy by playing or singing in one corner of the temple so as not to disturb their mothers.

On the fifth day, the follow-up plan was introduced: a package containing materials worth Rs.50 or Rs.100 of job-work would be given to them for making dolls at home, which would be picked up, and paid for, in a week’s time..

After a week has passed by, all met at the same venue again. The ladies knew there would be a quality control before they would get paid. This was quickly done with the help of three trays, marked A,B and C. According to the result they were paid by Meenakshi, and the ladies seemed to be really happy to receive the money and new packages to go on with the work

Today the ladies are experts at making Tsunamika and eagerly pass on the skill to others.

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