The doll that tugged at a million heartstrings worldwide will soon turn 10.
The ‘tsunamika’ miniature doll, conceived as a cheer-up gift for anyone in distress anywhere in the world by the Upasana Design studio at Auroville in the immediate aftermath of the December 26, 2004 tsunami, is celebrating its tenth birthday on January 10, 2015.
To date, an estimated 6 million dolls in variations of ‘Mama,’ ‘Sister’ and ‘Baby’ have been gifted in over 80 nations.
Upasana’s project started as a grief counselling intervention among folk in despair in coastal villages. The tsunami uprooted the lives of an estimated 11,000 people of 5,000 families across 19 villages in and around Auroville alone.
“We initiated teaching the women hand-craft essentially as a hand-holding intervention,” says Uma Prajapati, Upasana founder and spearhead of the project.
“We chose handmade dolls as it was simple to do and also because there was no input cost. The dolls were entirely made from fabric and threads left over from other projects at Upasana, and all it took was a safety pin costing a few paise.”
Pretty soon, the venture evolved into a form of livelihood sustenance for women who started making the tiny dolls which fetched them an income from each toy they made. Nearly 600 fisherwomen from seven villages were trained in creating these little dolls.
In a few months, the tsunamika dolls were being sent out as gifts to people in adversity all across the world.
In fact, the idea became such a phenomenal success internationally that the dolls were transformed into a symbol of hope in the lives of recipients. The tsunamika story is also seen as an exemplar of a successful gift economy that is wholly driven by donations and where there is no sale or purchase and an inspiring lesson in post-trauma community building.
One of the reasons for the unprecedented success has been the fact that the tsunamika, which was in a way born out of the fury, destruction and death trail of the tsunami, was able to establish an emotional bond and identity not just among the women who lovingly hand-crafted each piece but also among its recipients.
Currently, about 150 women make a living from the doll-making unit; others have moved to other economic activities. The project team, which trained the women, now supplies them with raw materials to continue making the dolls. The dolls are ordered in bulk by an expanding base of clients and are gifted unconditionally worldwide.
The first phase of the project — Handicraft Training to the fisherwomen — was funded by Concern Worldwide. Since then, scores of volunteers stepped up to distribute tsunamika worldwide, and the entire project has become a demonstration of ‘gift economy,’ with donations coming in from around the world. In fact, the project was able to generate a self-sustaining steam in just 18 months.
Stories are legion about the tsunamika. One of them centres on how the Danish fashion chain, Bestsellers, placed a mammoth order for over half-a-lakh dolls. Upasana’s doll-makers went into overdrive to ensure that the dolls were delivered well in time. The company donated the dolls as New Year gifts to its employees spread across 30 countries.
Apart from inspiring a corporate practice of using the tsunamika for New Year gifts, the dolls are being used by schoolteachers to encourage students to think differently and on applying creativity for a social cause.
“It is perhaps the only tsunami project that has not been wound up, but instead is going from strength to strength,” says Ms. Prajapati, who was honoured with the Award of Excellence from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, in 2005.
She also led the Upasana team to Paris to present the tsunamika story before the UNESCO in 2006 and 2008.
