mahila - indian embroideries

MAHILA AUR PANI = Women and Water

All over the world, it is possible to see women carrying home pots of water on their heads. They have to often walk a long way to the nearest source of water several times a day. In these times of water scarcity and climate change, the problem of gaining access to clean water is on the increase, especially in the poorer parts of the world. To transport water home is a big part of many women's everyday life.

The embroideries on this site are made by girls and young women in the village of Bhilon ki Basti in Rajasthan in northwestern India. They are the basis of a project involving water and embroidery which aims to provide opportunities for education and work for girls and women.The work also has a deeper social meaning: to make the participants develop a greater awareness of their own situations and their roles in a patriarchal society.The women are part of a society that's based on old rules and traditions that limit their freedom, while at the same time forcing them to take the majority of the responsibility for the family's livelihood.

Elsa Agélii read Vandana Shiva's book Water Wars and became interested in the significance of water for life on earth. During a study visit to the Thar Desert in Rajasthan in 2006, Elsa Agélii, nurse Monika Lind and Kulvinder Kaur of the social worker's group SKSS brainstormed the idea for this project, which was begun in 2007.

Mahila AUR PANI - EMBROIDERY CLUB 
Since 2008, the project has been led by the artists Elsa Agélii and Britta Kleberg. They work for several months each winter in the village which is located on the outskirts of the city of Jaisalmer. Britta leads the work with the girls while Elsa works with the women. They inspire and teach and work towards new ideas. Administration also takes up a great deal of their time. The project pays the participants directly for each piece of approved embroidery.

Purpose To provide opportunities for education and work for girls and women, as well as awareness of their own potential in life. Self-realization / Empowerment

Funding for the project is done through the sale of embroideries.These are typically sold at lectures, courses, and exhibitions in Sweden and abroad.This website has been set up to increase the visibility of the project and to increase sales.

Girls' schooling. Since 2010, individual donors have helped our girls get a good education.These friends of Mahila now guarantee the cost of educating seventeen girls (December 2013). A year's schooling costs 2000:- SEK (170:- SEK/month) as of 2014. This includes school fees, uniforms, books, materials and on-site administration costs. One can pay for a whole or a part of a school year--all contributions will do good.

Support Mahilas Friends: annual fee SEK 150:-  Bg: 420-5431 and don't forget to write down. your name, address and email!

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