OUR ACTIVITIES

 

Our projects are designed to provide contemporary training in various crafts to teenage and adult youth in underprivileged communities in Nepal and, following training, to assist them with equipment, materials and marketing to become self-reliant.

The projects are guided by Mahatma Gandhi's motto of equality, self-reliance and service.

1. Crafts training:

In crafts training students learn to

• spin cotton, wool and silk;
• dye with chemical and natural dyes;
• develop designs based on their surroundings;
• weave using shaft and Jacquard looms;
• weave tapestries, carpets, blankets and radis;
• tailor and quilt;
• knit, macram� and do beadwork; and
• work with ceramics (potting and glazing).

2. Training in Sericulture:

Since 1993, Kalaguthi has also been providing a full-scale training in sericulture, consisting of mulberry plantation, rearing of silk worms, and production of cocoons, as well as silk spinning, reeling, weaving and dyeing.

It has also been providing training in the production of various silk products.

3. Post-cocoon training of Seri farmers:

During 2000 and 2001, the post-cocoon training of Seri farmers was jointly undertaken by the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) and Kalaguthi.

In 2000 four groups of 15 Seri farmers from each of six different regions of Nepal received their one-month on-campus training in silk spinning, weaving and dyeing, tapestry weaving, and in various other post-cocoon operations, such as dyeing using silkworms secrete, mushroom growing, hand-paper making and making smoke-free beehive briquettes,

In 2001, 20 Seri farmers participated in advanced skill development in the same fields for a period of three months.

4. Outreach training

Kalaguthi staff and students go out to Government institutions and urban and rural centres to provide short classes and workshops. Promising and interested students from these classes and workshops are subsequently admitted to the regular 4-year training program at Kalaguthi.