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The Kolhapuri chappal-makers are back to making their traditional footwear. And they're prospering too.
Balabai and Maruti Kamble of Athani on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border, who made Kolhapuri chappals for a living, were facing tough times. With the influx of cheap, fashionable footwear, the market for handcrafted, traditional Kolhapuri chappals was shrinking. The Kamble couple owed a large sum of money to the moneylender and Maruti was almost a bonded labourer. In 1998, the Asian Centre for Entrepreneurial Initiatives (Ascent), Bangalore, helped Kamble and other chappal-makers of Athani to organise, stylise and market their products so that they could make a decent income. With sponsorship from the National Leather Development Programme (NLDP) and technical inputs from the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Ascent started Project ! EnterPrice in the village. Villagers were helped to set up Self-Help Groups (SHGs) which, along with women's associations, motivated them to save whatever they could. They were also able to extend small loans, boosting the confidence of the villagers and creating an atmosphere of trust among them. In 18 months, the women were able to form a 'sangama', a confluence of over 400 people from different SHGs, all working together. The CLRI imparted training in design, use of different materials, costing and marketing, teaching the artisans how to integrate their traditional skills with modern techniques and materials. A number of design competitions and visits to automated shoe plants were also organised. Soon the artisans came up with their own signature brand called ToeHold, with hundreds of designs. Forty per cent of the profit goes to the ToeHold Artisans Company, 40 pe! r cent goes to the artisans and 20 per cent to the SHGs. The Athani artisans took part in the 1999 Shoe Fair at Delhi and in the International Shoe Fair in Dusseldorf, Germany. They received orders worth $ 20,000 at these fairs and are currently exporting shoes to Japan, USA and Israel. The change in income levels is also reflected in their lifestyles. Women conduct themselves with confidence. Most of the houses now have electricity, TVs and telephone connections. Child marriages are non-existent. Drinking among the men and tobacco chewing among the women are also on the way out. You can order ToeHold footwear from the website www.toeholdindia.com
Contact: Asian Centre for Entrepreneurial Initiatives
111! ,1st Floor, 11th Main Road, Near 15th Cross
Malleswaram, Bangalore - 560 003, India
Tel: 91-80-334 7318/331 0184
Fax: 91-80-331 5396/334 7318
Email:
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