April heralds spring, all over the northern hemisphere, that is! And climate change is real, as the spring is disappearing at the wink of an eye and we are all but left to grapple with the fiery heat and humidity of a cruel summer. Had not for the luscious mangoes, the juicy Watermelons, the succulent Litchis and the intense jackfruits, summers would be one long dreary season. April is also the beginning of the official new financial year in India, when we take stock of the year that went by. People are always looking ahead. April is the month when they
Earth Day @ Sasha
Earth Day has become one of the most widely celebrated environmental events across the globe. 22 April is celebrated as the International Mother Earth Day. On this day, events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment. On this day, we joined the 1 billion people in the largest global civic observance to understand the biodiversity and how should we protect our nature – plants, animals and environment. We invited children of 14-16 years age group from not-for-profit organizations, T- SHED and Calcutta Social project for creating awareness. Famous Yoga trainer of the city Harsha Bhantia, who is a Co-founder of Samartha Fitness, personal trainer, Sound healer, International Yoga trainer, Pranic Healer, conducted a yoga session, depicting various Yoga poses inspired by the animal kingdom. This was followed by an interactive session on how animals are part of our lives and our interdependency. The day ended with a brief workshop on using newspapers to make paper bags.
Fashion Revolution Week@ Sasha
On the 6th anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse, which killed 1,138 people and injured many more in 2013, we encourage millions of people to ask brands #whomademyclothes and demand greater transparency in the fashion supply chain. Let us all be part of the Fashion revolution. Throughout 2019, Fashion Revolution will be talking about how fair and decent work, environmental protection and gender equality are intersectional drivers that will shape the future of fashion. The issues are inextricably linked where people’s livelihoods depend on safe, healthy and thriving ecosystems. We see that the need for greater transparency across these three interrelated topics is more urgent than it has been at any time.
At Sasha we organized a Roundtable on 26th April 2019 to share our experiences with people in fashion to understand how to achieve positive change in the global fashion industry. Sasha CEO began the session with a welcome note, and a brief introduction on what the fashion revolution is all about and about Sasha’s larger role in promoting Fashion revolution. A four-member panel was part of the discussion, moderated by Tanvi Bhimani from Sasha. The panellists introduced themselves briefly within the context of the day’s theme. The panellists were:
- Achira Basu (Fashion designer and faculty)
- Meghna Nayak (Journalist and upcycled clothing designer)
- Namrata Manot ( Entrepreneur and natural dye enthusiast)
- Paromita Banerjee (Fashion designer)
The
WFTO Guarantee System Orientation Workshop @SSA
It is time for the renewal of the Fair Trade Guarantee at Sasha again this year. As part of our ongoing activity for strengthening the GS and preparing ourselves for the monitoring audit, it is necessary to orient each team member with the system. With the inclusion of new team members in Sasha, a refresher was organized at SSA for the key team members, responsible for various processes in the organization as well as an introductory session for the new ones.
Elephant Country products, in association with Balipara Foundation@SashaShop
This Poila Boishakh, or the Bengali New year, the land of the mighty Brahmaputra beckoned the city of Kolkata to celebrate Rongali Bihu, the Assamese New year with us. We inaugurated the Rongali Bihu at Sasha Shop with noted actress & Bihu dance exponent- Jaya Seal Ghosh, with impromptu dance, authentic Assamese delicacies & mesmerizing crafts from Elephant Country. It offered a window to the magnificent state of Assam – its culture and sentiments, textile and crafts- handcrafted by the indigenous tribes and local artisans; There was lot of fanfare with Bihu dance and folksongs; guests relished the local and indigenous snacks from Assam called – Pitha, Larus & tasted the famed “Assam tea’.
Elephant Country products are symbolic of the inter-dependent relationship between man and elephants in Eastern Himalayas. Elephant Country is promoted by Balipara Foundation, a Non-Profit nestled in Assam in the Eastern Himalayas. Established in 2007 Balipara Foundation works towards community development and conservation of natural resources in the region through the concepts of Naturenomics™ and Rural Futures.
Sasha @Summer Weaves Exhibition at Dastkar, New Delhi
As the temperatures soar, the Sasha Shop at Delhi presented a range of clothing in Cottons & Muls, soothing prints & delicate weaves -at the ongoing Summer Weaves exhibition at Dastkar Nature Bazaar. The range depicted the rich skills of the weavers and printers, the intricacies, the play of colours, motifs and threads in a wide range of Phulia, Jamdani, hand-printed and embroidered scarves and stoles.
Sasha@Kairi, Crafts Council of India
Sasha
Sasha@Jaypore
Sasha’s classic range of Kantha embroidered it showcased garments on