Vasundhara’s symbol of a woman sitting at a spinning wheel reflects the genesis of the programme, as well as the commitment of the samiti to the poorest women artisans and their traditional craft skills. The main aim is to involve poor and marginal families in collective action that could provide a sustainable means of income in the face of unpredictable drought conditions.

Urmul’s earliest agenda of localized rural health research and development services survived unchanged only for a short while, before the big drought of 1987, the first since Urmul’s inception, changed everything. Vasundhara grew out of Urmul’s earliest efforts at putting together income generation and craft development programmes, by finding markets for locally available materials and skills.

Craft: Woven garments & furniture.

Craft: Woven garments & furniture.