Weaving Destination

(bordering Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and China), Kokrajhar, Assam is prone to internal conflict, displacement, sectarian strife, and high rates of human trafficking, especially among indigenous communities. All of the women employed through Weaving Destination are either vulnerable and poor ethnic women from the region, survivors of human trafficking, infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS or are female migrant returnees who are highly vulnerable to re-trafficking, social exclusion and poverty. Our short-term goal is to connect the beautiful hand-woven products made by the women’s weaving collective to the global sewing community. There has been a resurgent interest in sewing and weaving, and the sewing community has developed as a creative consumerist culture, all the while encouraging empowerment and creative entrepreneurship through supportive online and personal networks. Connecting the weavers of the Bodo community with the larger international sewing community raises awareness and helps support women in a very tangible way. 100% of the profits generated by the sale of these woven products are reinvested in the Weaving Destination collective. The long-term goals are to create weaving collectives in other villages, in which vulnerable women are protected from human rights violations. We also hope to establish an organic fabric dying centre, and further promote vocational training that will increase Bodo weavers’ ability to have control over their livelihood. We also hope to provide greater access to healthcare, especially for the women who have been exposed to HIV/AIDS.