The WFTO Auditor Visits "KUKA"

Mr. Pankaj Mehndiratta is doing the WFTO audit for MESH. Last week Gabriel, who looks after Producer Development for MESH, accompanied Pankaji to Najibabad to visit Kusht Sewa Ashram (KUKA) a leprosy colony where much of our wonderful hand woven textiles are produced. It took them about five hours by road and they had a fruitful visit looking at the documentation, the working conditions and the general environment of the colony. The overall impression was good and the efforts of the colony members to work with dignity was appreciated by Pankaji. One important outcome is that Gabriel has began once again to research ways in which they can filter their dye waste water to ensure that it has no negative impact on the water table. In the photograph Pankaji, surrounded by the tools of weaving is studying documents in the company of Janardanam who manages the weaving work.

Today Pankaji and Gabriel visited Society for Child Development here in Delhi and noted the way that they are involved in recycling of flowers, paper, textiles and almost anything else that people offer them. There are a variety of disabilities among the people in the unit including visually impaired men and women making incense sticks and men and women with downs syndrome and other cognitive disabilities involved in weaving with paper.

All credit to Rozina, the marketing officer (pictured below) who hosted the visit for Society for Child Development as the Director Dr. Madhumita Puri is away in New York.

We are proud of the fine groups we work with and glad that with this WFTO audit we shall be giving them the formal recognition that they deserve.


29.8.2017