Freedom Manchaha, the innovative initiative by Jaipur Rugs and the Prison Department!
Manchaha, a Hindi word popular in Rajasthan’s weaving community, means “expression of my heart”, and is a sustainable development initiative where weavers get to design their own rug for the first time in Rajasthan. It taps into the untamed fashion in rural India by nurturing their creative potential and transforms a community from exploitation to empowerment. Each rug, hand made with more than 200,000 knots, is the story of its creator – with emotions, dreams, and personality.
Jaipur Rugs, the iconic family run business, has been working towards bridging the gap between the weaver at the grassroots and the urban consumers through the revival of the dying art of carpet weaving. The brand, led by founder Mr. NK Chaudhary, envisions a society where equality, justice and peace prevail through socio-economic development.
Jaipur Rugs’ key aim has been to provide opportunities for all, with the insurgent mission to serve as a social innovator promoting the cause of artisans by providing them with job opportunities, resulting in an uplifted rural society. As an inclusive development practitioner committed to promoting creativity everywhere it goes, especially in places where others are reluctant to venture, Jaipur Rugs is working with close to 100 inmates across Jaipur Central Jail, Bikaner Central Jail and Dausa Central Jail to provide them with meaningful and fulfilling work by teaching them the art of carpet weaving.
Crime tends to go hand-in-hand with poverty and illiteracy, and imprisonment makes the lives of the families of inmates even more difficult, especially if the one incarcerated is the breadwinner. One way to change this destructive cycle is economic empowerment. Jaipur Rugs feels that the capacity to imagine brings motivation, which then adds to the prestige and prosperity of individuals, if nurtured appropriately.
“Let goodness, fairness and, most importantly, love prevail in business. Profits will inevitably follow,” says N K Chaudhary, Founder, Jaipur Rugs Company.
“This innovative initiative by Jaipur Rugs and the Prison Department is much needed. Through this, prison inmates are trained in rug weaving and production and their efforts get appreciated globally, leading the way for reformations. The earnings from this initiative help the families of the inmates. Additionally, 25% of the earned income goes to the victim’s families ,” says Rakesh Mohan, Jail Superintendent, Jaipur Central Jail.
Jaipur Rugs also helps inmates open bank accounts to receive payments for their work directly, which makes it easy for them and their families to access their earnings. Ordinarily, inmates are given work that lacks purpose to keep them occupied. It undermines their potential and eventually leads to an inability and unwillingness to work. Through the initiative by Jaipur Rugs, in which training and workshops are conducted and a source of income is generated, these inmates get access to socio-economic development and are empowered through support and sustainable livelihood.
The Freedom Manchaha collection is an ode to these inmates who want to express themselves creatively and still support their families through the odds. Experience this collection on https://www.jaipurrugs.com/