My Story is a contemporary celebration of tradition. All great civilizations have their own art and practices of narratives; so do the natives of Kutch (Gujarat, India). Scenes from their daily lives come alive through appliqué stories.

Upasana’s interaction with the women artisans of Kala Raksha Vidyalaya (KRV) began in July 2007. This interaction grew into a partnership as Upasana’s core team in Auroville met for detailed evaluation of their partner and later held several meetings with KRV. Design samples based on the artisans’ handcrafted pieces were created. Respecting the artisans, Upasana kept the level of its intervention to a minimum.

What followed was a holistic evaluation of the production process, a clear strategy for Upasana and a future-looking strategy for KRV.

The results were multidimensional:

• Discovery of a new potential as far as the Indian Handicraft sector was concerned.
• Restructuring of the entire production process for KRV, which was a great achievement for them.
• A transformational collaboration with a partner wherein the artisans, their work, their self-confidence and in turn, KRV’s very raison d’etre was raised to a new high. From 200 pieces of events per month, the production increased to 3000 finely crafted stories per month. It was hard work for the women artisans, but prompt and satisfactory financial returns changed their perception towards their work, it became a labor of love.

Upasana’s big team worked and coordinated on the communication and right packaging front.

Delivery dates are always a challenge to keep in the handicraft sector. But Upasana feels that it is now time to address this challenge and succeed.

One thousand conscious corporate gifts packed in eco-friendly material are ready, in less than 6 months, to greet the new year, 2008!