As I walked a few hundred metres from the posh Greater Kailash colony in Delhi, I came across narrow and dingy lanes with crooked doors and worn-away walls. Clad in an orange salwar kameez, a woman opens the metal door with a wide smile and invites me inside into her home – a cramped space less than 300 sq ft which houses 7 people.
Sunita Takur was a name nobody knew of. She bore the brunt of her husband’s belt thrashing and son’s cuss words, but today she is a liberated independent woman. She learnt the art of embroidery and ekes out a living making decorative hoops.
‘Just like this bird, I am also a free bird today. There is no one to stop me... no more hurdles. Just like how the bird is relaxing on the branch, I am also at peace now working in the comfort of my home,’ she says.
Each hoop is specially designed to cater to women, children, men and teenagers and some our snippets from the lives of the women who are making them.
(Photo: The Quint)
Like Sunita, several women have been liberated by ‘Pins and Needles’, a venture started by Delhi-based Simran Preet Kaur. She decided to put her textile knowledge to use and began teaching women who come from underprivileged backgrounds and are battling depression stemming from financial troubles and illnesses in their families. The raw materials such as scrap cloth, thread and needle is provided by friends and well-wishers who also end up buying all the finished goods.
“This has done tremendous new things for them. They had no value in the family. Now, I feel they have a lot of power in themselves. It's like they are beautiful lotuses that bloomed in marshland,” says a beaming Simran.
Seasons’ greetings, your favourite Instagram picture, recreating a scenic view from your road trip or even a bare-bummed man and woman to depict the raw sexuality of humans – all kinds of designs are available. And it is not limited to hoops – they make pouches, bags, sling-bags, bedsheets, towels and pillow covers too.
Simran distributes the bags and pouches they make to cancer-affected kids and their families, inspiring them to try their hand at the art and also teaching them to say no to plastic bags.
Over 50 women have said goodbye to abuse and discrimination with the help of Pins and Needles,
You can also lend a helping hand by reaching out to them at pinsandneedles.india and also order some of the most ‘hatke’ hoops for your friends and family.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)