Learn to spin cotton yarn with a Peti Charkha
Dates 10 – 12 September 2018
Course Facilitator
Madhav Sahasrabudhe is a mechanical engineer based in Pune. He was introduced to spinning by Dadasaheb Bhosale nearly a decade ago and has been spinning ever since and also teaching people how to use a charkha. Madhavji has been associated with Nai Talim for the last 5 years, where he teaches physics and maths to 9th and 10th std students, and also helps them refine their spinning skills. (Nai Talim is a Gandhian system of activity-based learning with a premise that work and knowledge are not separate.) He has authored a book called “Art of Spinning”, which can be downloaded here: http://www.mkgandhi.org/swadeshi_khadi/Charkha_Manual.pdf
Cost Course Fee
We are offering this course on a ‘gift-economy’ model for Aurovilians. For non-Aurovilians, the suggested contribution is Rs 1500. Charkha would cost an additional Rs 2,000 for all.
A total of 15 registrations will be accepted for this workshop.
Simple vegetarian lunch and snacks will be provided on all three days.
Accommodation
Accommodation should be arranged by the participants. We can assist in finding accommodation in Auroville or Pondicherry. Smoking, drinking, narcotic substances and disposable plastic are strictly prohibited.
Registration
If you would like to buy a charkha before the workshop, please register before 31 August.
If you have any queries, please write to pitchandikulam.outreach@auroville.org.in or call +91 94491 91233.
Forest Eco Retreat in Nadukuppam
Our planted forest in Nadukuppam, as well as being at the heart of our social and environmental activities in South India, has over the years taken on a secondary, unofficial function – as a place of deep rest and relaxation for us at Pitchandikulam Forest and our friends.
In the forest, we can build small and simple huts for people to retreat and search their souls for adding value to life. The rich environs of a growing forest, water bodies, birds and butterflies to give company, will be the best backdrop to the retreat.
Embodying ethical tourism, this kind of retreat can enable one to explore the region with a gentle footprint.There is great potential to explore the complexities and richness of rural Tamil Nadu – to engage with the village community, to learn about the Kazhuveli water bodies, a rich wetland ecosystem that is currently greatly vulnerable to human interference.
If one likes some activities and wants to contribute there are nurseries, compost and organic farms to work in. A Bali House with a small library and music is a common place to meet with other friends.
Training Centre for Rural Women
Our work in Nadakuppam to date
Pitchandikulam has been working in the Nadukuppam area since 2003. Since then, it has grown into a major part of our work: covering everything from teachers in local schools, indigenous forest planting, traditional water management, organic farming, rural enterprise for women and a wide range of training. To date, we have helped to set up five rural women’s enterprises in the area, and would like to be able to help even more women setting out in the world of cooperative enterprise.
Our Dream
To consolidate over a decade’s worth of work, our dream is to set up a dedicated centre for women’s training, which will act as a traditional knowledge hub for the Kazhuveli bio-region and its natural and cultural integrity, and allow women to explore new ways in which they can blend different knowledge systems. We can share our experience with other women’s development programmes across India, invite participants and volunteers from our network in India and abroad, and create a centre of excellence in rural enterprise training for women.
We want to build an ecologically friendly place for the trainees to stay, so that all participants can live in a rural environment while learning and sharing their stories. We envisage a sustainable livelihoods learning centre – backed by our experience with the Sustainable Livelihood Institute – with practical demonstrations, activities, intensive education programmes and a regular programme of trainings each month.
How You Can Help
Please contact us to find out more, or contribute to our account below.
