Ramadan- A Day in the Life of Hasina

Ramadan or Ramazan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed worldwide by Muslims as the month of fasting. For 29- 30 days (depending on sightings of the moon), Muslims fast every day from dawn till dusk, without consuming food or water.

A fairly large number of the women artisans at MarketPlace are Muslims and come to work each day during the month of Ramazan and go through the entire work day without any food or drink. Hasina from the Ashiana Collective tells us about her schedule during this month of fasting. “The entire family wakes up at 4 am. We are allowed to eat till 4:30 or 4:45 am. After this we don’t touch any food or water till 7:30 pm. During Ramazan we say our prayers five times a day. When it is time for iftar (refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan) we offer the evening namaaz and break our fast with a very interesting spread of dishes. We cook bhajiyas, ragda, channa, and many other mouth-watering snacks for the evening.”

“Everyone in my household kept a fast this Ramazan, including my 13 year old son. He was able to attend school, cricket classes and play sports while he was fasting without any difficulty. I too was able to work through the month without any problems.”

But many women do take a break from the fasting, especially when their work is physically taxing and endless days without food and water can lead to fatigue, dehydration and general weakness. Having said that the entire month is one of fasting and then festivity, as people get together each evening to go try out the iftar delicacies sold on Mohammed Ali Road in Mumbai. The eve of Eid is called Chaand Raat (literally, Night of the Moon). The entire community stays up on Chaand Raat to cook and shop. Biriyani, korma and sevaiyan are made in every household and young boys and girls go to the all night bazaars to buy new clothes and bangles for Eid. The next day, after the morning prayers are offered, people go to meet their elders to collect idi from them. Young boys and girls get money and gifts asidi from their elders along with their blessings. The festival brings together all the members of the community and strengthens the solidarity between them.

Bollywood Bash in Chicago

The Junior Board is excitedly looking forward to our Bollywood Bash fundraiser tomorrow in Chicago.

Sewing Training for New Artisans- Make a Donation Today!

With every product you buy from MarketPlace, the artisan cooperatives are able to employ more women to develop the garments and accessories you see in our catalogs. Even with markets being slow during the recession of the last few years, MarketPlace has been able to sustain its growth and as a result the women and their children have been able to participate in social development programs like Global Dialog, Social Action and the Armaan Club for children; thus enriching their lives and changing their communities.

When women first come to MarketPlace, they have a basic knowledge of sewing but need training and practice to reach the standards of quality that you expect to see in our products. Women who are otherwise considered “umemployable” start as trainees and undergo a sewing training program for a period of 2 months.

The training program still allows new trainees to earn while they sew simple products, but they are slow and hence are provided a stipend. In about 2 months, trainees are able to reach a skill level that allows them to make a decent wage. The stipend ensures that they stay motivated and can still earn while they learn.

You can be a part of this growth by helping us cover the stipend money.

$25 will cover stipend costs for one trainee for one month

$50 will cover stipend costs for one trainee, training costs (given by a seasoned artisan) and materials.

$100 will cover entire 2-month training costs for one trainee, setting her well on her way to earn and empower herself and her family.

So, make a donation today and help us expand our reach and bring about more lasting change for  women artisans and their children. Click here to make a donation:

http://www.marketplaceindia.com/product/366

Kalamkari

Traditional Indian long shirt is hand printed with natural dyes. Round neck, 3-button closure and three-quarter length sleeves. Side slits and side pockets for ease. Wear with Salwars or jeans.

Kalamkari is a hand block printing technique that uses vegetable dyes on cotton fabric. The word “kalamkari” is derived from the Persian word ‘kalam’ meaning pen and ‘kari’ meaning craftsmanship, and together the word means ‘to draw with a pen’. Very intricate designs are drawn onto fabric with the help of bamboo reeds using vegetable dyes. But for products of daily use, like apparel and home furnishings, blocks are used to create the patterns. The designs are so intricate that the block placement is critical in ensuring that the design remains accurate. The unique nature of this natural dyed fabric makes it look better with every wash.

The ease of a tee shirt in a cool, hand-printed woven. Scoop neck with intricate knot detail, cap sleeves, and gentle A-line shape. Low hip length. (Left)
Two layers of printed voile create a uniquely self-lined piece. Graphic prints are vegetable dyed and hand printed. Elastic waist, lower-calf length. (Right)

This ‘pen craft’ is heavily influenced by Hindu mythology and Hindu gods and goddesses like Krishna, Brahma, Ganesha, Shiva and Parvati are depicted on the fabrics in shades of green, yellow, red, blue and black.

The processes involved in this art are very interesting. First, cotton fabric is whitened in a solution of Myrobalan nut powder and buffalo milk and then dried in the sun for a couple of days. The Myrobalan acts as a mordant to fix the natural dyes on the fabric. Fermented jaggery is then mixed with water to form a black solution- this is applied with a pointed bamboo reed to form the outlines of the designs.

The dyes are obtained from roots and leaves of plants along with mineral salts of iron, tin, copper, alum, etc., which are used as mordants. Repeated dying, washing and resist dyeing with wax produce up to five colors on the fabric- and the fabric itself can be undergo up to 20 washes to produce one design!

This textile printing technique traces its origins to the south of India but samples of kalamkari fabrics have been found in excavations in Cairo, Greece, Central Asia and Arabia- most probably carried there by traders centuries back.

Recipe: A Favorite and Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

Both Shanti and Ashok love Chicken Tikka Masala and I was thrilled when I got this recipe which is easy and tastes as good as in restaurants.- MarketPlace President, Pushpika Freitas

Marinade:

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tbs each: ground cumin, red pepper, black pepper

1 teaspoon each: cinnamon, salt

1 piece ginger root, minced

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

 

Sauce:

1 Teaspoon unsalted butter/veg oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno chilli, minced – chili powder will do

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 tsp each: Ground cumin, paprika, garam masala

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 cup whipping cream

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

 

A favorite and easy Chicken Tikka Masala

Combine all marinade ingredients with chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour – overnight is better. 

Grill on skewers turning occasionally – discard marinade.  Or in winter bake in dish with marinade until cooked thoroughly – about 8 minutes and then broil to brown the chicken a little- another 5 minutes.  All this can be done a day or more before and refrigerated.

Melt butter/oil over medium heat, add garlic, jalapeno cook 1 minute.  Stir in coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt.  Stir in tomato sauce.  Simmer 15 minutes.  Stir in cream.  Simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.  Add Salt to taste.

Remove chicken from skewers and add to sauce.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Serve with rice or naan.

 

The Men @MarketPlace

You’ve heard the women at MarketPlace tell their stories, you’ve read about their lives and aspirations. But here are some key men associated with MarketPlace in Mumbai who are as important to the organization as the women.

Sheikh Abdullah-

Sheikh Abdullah, or as we know him- Abdul, first started working with MarketPlace in 1995. “I used to work in a general store back home in Kerala. But I always wanted to work in a social organization where I could use my skills to better the lives of others and learn from them in the process”, says Abdul. Abdul is the head of Nirmaan Collective and very recently he has been to Delhi to learn more about cutting patterns and garment production.

Abdul has 2 sons in the 3^rd and 7^th grade, both active members of the Armaan Club. “My older son is passionate about football and has recently been selected by Bajaj Allianz for a football match. If his team wins he will get a chance to go to Germany for further training!”

Joseph Jacinto-

Joseph heads the group WARE (Women Artisans’ Rehabilitation Enterprise) and has been working with MarketPlace since 1986. He set up a tailoring unit in his house in Mumbai in 1995, working with about 45 people. “WARE specializes in making garments and recycled accessories like bags, baskets, runners and jewellery. My group also developed this (pic below) one-of-a-kind home accessory- the toran- which is traditionally made of fresh flowers to decorate the entrance of homes in India”, Joseph tells us.

Joseph lives with his wife and 2 children. His younger son is in the 8^th grade and his older son is in the final year of college where he has been studying business management.

Abur Gani-

Abur Gani, the head of the Sahara group, has worked with MarketPlace for 20 years now. He started off as an apprentice to Zia Bhai in the Ghar Udyog Collective in 1992, and is now a successful entrepreneur. He started his own unit is a very small way with a rented sewing machine and 4 artisans. The unit grew slowly with some financial help from MarketPlace in the form of loans. “At present I have 28 artisans and my workshop is spread out over two floors. My unit makes bags and garments for the local and international market and I hope we can grow bigger in terms of orders and production capacity”, says Abur Gani.

He has two young children who participate in all the activities of the Armaan Club and can often be seen running around his workshop. Abur Gani’s wife has been working as the supervisor of Sahara for a year and a half now.

Ikat- Warp and Weft Resist Dyeing

Ikat is a very popular fabric art form these days- seen on almost everything from apparel to home furnishings. This is an ancient art form that appears in traditional textiles from countries as wide spread as Argentina, Guatemala, Spain, Japan, India and Thailand. The word “Ikat” is derived from the Malay word ‘Mengikat’ which means ‘to tie’ or ‘to bind’- an apt name for this weaving technique that relies heavily on resist dyeing.

In Ikat the warp or weft or both are dyed with great precision so that the weaving produces the desired pattern on the finished fabric. In weaving the “warp” is the set of lengthwise yarns that are held in tension on the frame or loom. The “weft” is the yarn that is drawn through the warp yarns to create the cloth. The weaver or designer first draws out the design on a graph paper and the final design is transferred onto the warp and weft threads. Before the dyeing process starts the warp and weft threads are tied with impermeable yarn, rubber bands or strips of bicycle tubes. Once dyed in a particular color, the threads can be retied and dyed again in multiple colors. When the dyeing is complete the threads are put on the loom and the natural movement of the weaving gives the Ikat designs their characteristic feathered edge.

In India, Ikat is known by different names in different regions– the Double Ikat from Gujarat is called ‘patola’ while the popular and more affordable Ikat from Orissa is called ‘bandha’ and uses motifs of animals and birds.

Here are some of the Ikat pieces from our Spring/ Summer 2012 collection.

Blue and white–classic warm weather colors to keep you feeling cool. Handwoven stripe in soft ikat with fringe features a geometric hand embroidered design. 100% cotton. Made by Pushpanjali. 

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Handwoven ikat top provides an alternative to a t-shirt. Shape is elemental and universally flattering with scoop neck, side slits and turn-back cap sleeves. Hip length. 100% cotton. Made by WARE

Sometimes simple things are the best. This softly architectural top has a half placket, stand collar and side slits. Designed to layer over a cami. Try our Deepa cami! Graphic natural and black ikat is striking and versatile. 100% cotton. Made by Nirmaan.