Travel: This Dehradun-based social enterprise upcycles garments of the deceased for families

Asha Devi, a widowed mother of three, works as an artisan at Purkal Stree Shakti Samiti (PSSS), a Dehradun-based social enterprise nestling at the foothills of the picturesque Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.

The 38-year-old stitches and sews ‘memorial quilts’, a unique service that involves upcycling garments of the deceased for families keen to preserve the memories of their loved one in the form of a tangible heirloom.

The project helps Devi earn a steady income even as bereaved families can have a permanent physical connection to their departed relative through a priceless memento. Even better, the sustainable project leaves zero waste while providing financial support to underprivileged artisans in resource-starved villages.

Like Devi, hundreds of poor women have been mentored by PSSS to become sought-after artisans, design assistants, supervisors and quality controllers. The skill helps them lead dignified lives, a far cry from the time they depended on their abusive and alcoholic spouses for sustenance.

“My husband was an alcoholic,” recalls Devi. “He would abuse me and burn up all his earnings in booze. When he died, the responsibility of bringing up my children and taking care of my in-laws fell upon my shoulders. I was also under debt. However, the steady income from the Samiti helps me earn a decent salary and lead a respectful life.”

Founded in 2003 by a local artisan Chinni Swamy, the initiative encourages village women to take up the craft of applique, patchwork, hand embroidery and quilting to earn money. The quilts’ quirky designs and vibrant hues with customised monograms and motifs, different for each family, make them a bespoke product in a market cluttered with me-too items.

Patchwork and applique techniques, say the artisans, further give them wiggle room to piece together fabrics of various shapes, colours and sizes to create a stunning montage. Families can courier fabrics to the organisation from which the customised quilt is designed by designers and then handcrafted by artisans. So great is the demand for PSSS’s exclusive items that from the original quilts, its repertoire has now widened to include bags, notebooks, file folders, totes, as well as corporate gifting items. All products are handmade and no fabric scrap is wasted.

The artisans, who call themselves ‘The Quilters Of India’, say that demand for their cotton, single and double quilts using traditional Indian techniques is the highest. “Each quilt takes 150 hours to make, so it’s truly a labour of love. With growing demand, we’ve expanded our services to include baby quilts, cushion covers, aprons, tea cosies, bags, even pets products like playmats and soft toys. We ship worldwide and also take orders via Instagram DMs,” informs a PSSS supervisor.

All raw materials like fabrics and threads are sourced from India, especially small vendors, she adds. Given the enterprise’s noble cause and brand appeal, renowned global brands like GAP, Kearney, Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines and Capillary Technologies have collaborated with PSSS.

The PSSS brand has ensured prosperity for its workers. “Most of our artisans are the sole breadwinners of their families. With their income, all of them ensure to educate their children, especially the girl child, and to invest in improving their houses, communities, and lives,” informs Aiswarya Enolla Patri, one of the PSSS’ three co-founders of PSSS.

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