Aruvacode

Case Studies, Craftspersons/ Artisanal, Employment/ Livelihood, Organisation, Institution, Movement

Aruvacode: Livelihood Intervention

Jaitly, Jaya

Aruvacode, a small village near Nilambur in North Kerala had in the past been well known for its highly skilled potters. About one hundred families of traditional potters continued to follow their trade of making pots, household utensils and other objects. However a scarcity of clay, firewood and other raw material, the influx of cheap industrial substitutes coupled with a lack of demand for the finished product had resulted in a sharp decline in the economic and social status of the artisans resulting in dire poverty. By 1993 many of the potters had taken to distilling spurious liquor while the women resorted to prostitution. For the revival of a languishing craft and the dignified survival of potter families of Aruvacode an intervention was undertaken by the NGO, Dastakari Haat Samiti. Period: March to September 1993 Team: Jaya Jaitly (Project Director) K.B.Jinan (Chief Designer) Vishaka (Technical Designer) Ulasker Dey (Technical Expertise, Regional Design Technical centre, Bangalore). Objectives
  • Build a relationship with concerned artisans, villagers in general, local organisations, administrators and local bodies.
  • Train traditional potters to diversify their product range.
  • Link technological and design improvements to a marketing system that would eventually result in a higher income and an improved status for...
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