Sumitra Srikanth’s heart sinks each time she sees plastic choking the streets. Every shop that she goes to readily hands out plastic bags, much to her dismay. When preaching didn't do much to the cause, she took the matter into her own hands. That's how the HelpHER initiative was born.
The initiative is not only a battle against plastic bags but an attempt to help a group of women who are trying to make ends meet. It aims to make available affordable cloth bags as a sustainable alternative.
Sumitra and her fellow members of Solid Waste Management People Forum of Mylapore took upon themselves the task of sourcing unused/unwanted fabric and swatches from furnishing stores. She then roped in members of women self-help groups to stitch them into bags. She also found other poor women looking for an additional source of income.
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Sumitra is happy with the response her initiative received. A furnishing store owner, Ram Mohan of Ode Furnishing in Neelankarai readily donated upholstery material out of which 1,050 HelpHER bags were stitched. Several others donated their sparsely used curtains and other materials.
The HelpHER Upcycled bags were launched on July 18 at the Women's India Association on Greenways Road, one of the SHGs stitching the bags.
“Our objective is to demonstrate that the change over from plastic bags to cloth bags can happen with a citizen-commercial establishment-buyer initiative. There could be a small shortfall in the cost of making bags and what the commercial establishment can bear. We are looking for social organisations who can lend support to meet this cost,” she says.
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The large size bags are sold at ₹20 and small size ₹12. The bags are sold for zero profit as the material is donated by various donors and the money paid goes directly to the women. "Every order is an attempt to save the environment by shunning plastic and saving waste cloth materials from ending up as waste. Besides, it provides needy women with some extra money," says Sumitra.
The SWM-PF acts as a link between the donors, shops that want to replace plastic bags with cloth bags and the SHGs with the expertise in making bags. The coordinators of HelpHER maintain a database of various SHGs which have registered with them and pass the order to the group which can meet the requirement. Similarly, they have a database of donors and buyers.
How can you HelpHER?
HelpHER is looking for more material donors from upholstery outlets, individual donors and cloth manufacturers. Swatches, mull cloth, saris and veshtis, bedsheets and old fabric can be donated. While donating, ensure that torn, unwashed and stained clothes are not sent.
Place orders for the HelpHER bags and motivate your nearby stores to replace plastic carry bags with HelpHER bags.
Any new SHG can register with SWM-PF listing their area of expertise and work force.
If you wish to donate or buy HelpHER bags, contact Sumitra at 9962654868.