Auroville is actively involved in many Tsunami Relief projects in the state of Tamil Nadu in south , and Tsunamika is one of them.

The Tsunamika project has been conceived by Upasana Design Studio of Auroville, and executed in the seaside villages of Auroville's bioregion. The project has the following dimensions:

The project has focused on the fisherwomen who were traumatized by the Tsunami disaster. The initial aim of the project was to help the women overcome the traumas they experienced, by getting them involved in some creative handicraft work which could channel their energy in a constructive manner. For this purpose, 480 ladies from 6 coastal villages were given handicraft training to make a small doll using waste fabric. To give the ladies the pride and dignity of earning money through their own creative work, the project team then bought these dolls from the fisherwomen and began distributing them widely as gift items. The doll, known as Tsunamika, quickly became very popular, and soon helped establish a strong emotional bond and identity among the people who had made her, as well as among those who received her. Soon the project evolved into a livelihood option for nearly 180 ladies, who began receiving income for every doll they made. At the same time large numbers of people volunteered to distribute Tsunamika worldwide, and the entire project became a demonstration of “gift economy”, with donations coming in from around the world sufficient to run the project on its own income within a period of just 18 months.

Tsunamika has already inspired a number of business corporations to use her as their New Year gift. The project has also motivated school teachers to use her as a means for education, which is a newly emerging facet of the Tsunamika project. The latest development is the Tsunamika story-book, details of which are given in the site.

 

 

Achievements

Tangible results in 18 months

•  180 ladies earning Rs.750 to Rs.2,500 per month (approx US$ 17 to 56) for the last 8 months.
• 480 ladies received handicraft training.
• 12 ladies have become leaders in their village.
• Creation of nearly 800,000 dolls.
• Establishment of distribution network made up of volunteers in 50 countries.
• Development of nearly 50 Tsunamika-associated products.
• Received “award of excellence” from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, .
• Received national and international media coverage in print and on TV. 

Intangible results

• Helped heal the traumas created by the December 2004 tsunami in the ladies, and within their families.
• Brought confidence and self respect to the village ladies.
• Brought out leadership qualities in village ladies.
• Brought out organizational skills in village ladies.
• Demonstrated successfully the possibilities and joy of gift economy.
• Generated deep emotional bonding and love among a worldwide network of Tsunamika volunteers.
• Helped ‘design’ students to think differently, by applying their creativity for social development.