IDPs to crochet Amigurumi dolls for global market
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR

Imphal, September 16 2023: 1 Million Heroes, a global multi-platform entertainment brand, dedicated to inspire and instil confidence in a generation of children around the world, has come up with an idea for sustainable livelihood for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur, languishing in make-shift relief camps due to the ongoing violence in the state that has so far killed over 175 lives, injured at least 1,108 people and 4,786 houses set on fire.

T Million Heroes' team is training the displaced people in crocheting Amigurumi doll making for global marketing.

Khangabok Relief Camp in Thoubal district which houses 210 people is one of the five relief camps across Manipur where Amigurumi doll making training is being imparted to inmates, mostly women.

36-year-old Laishram Geeta Leima, mother of three, is one of the trainees pinning her hope on crocheting for short term livelihood of her family in these times of trouble.

She had to flee for safety when her village at Sugnu Awang Leikai in Kakching district was attacked by armed miscreants on May 27.Geeta sees a ray of hope in the art of crochet that is easy to master, satisfying and productive as well.

"As we're here at this relief camp, we've no means of livelihood.

Problem is compounded with having to look after my kids.

During these dark times, 1 Million Heroes team came to train us to crochet Amigurumi dolls as a livelihood alternative for us.

I've almost mastered it.

We're very happy to have acquired these new skills.

We're told they are chalking out ways to get us revenue out of these dolls," said Geeta Leima.

Since August first week, '1 Million Heroes' has been visiting relief camps and training interested people to crochet Amigurumi dolls, providing them with the know-hows; detailed templates, the tools and raw materials.

The target is to train groups of individuals in five relief camps and each camp specialising in each of the five characters, conceived as the first line of the global Amigurumi doll brand.

The characters include - Buddy-the pet dog, Mitten-the cat, Raja-the tiger, Oliver-the Bear and Bola-the buddy.

Describing the training programme, doll artist and master trainer Utpala Longjam stated that the programme is going on pretty well.

"Crochet is not very difficult if you know the basics.

Most of them knew the basics.

All we'd to do was teach them the pattern and the right way to go about it.

They're picking it up pretty well.

Once they become comfortable with the needle, the crochet and the patterns, we would be providing them with the cotton yarns for the actual product," Utpala Longjam said.

At a time when memories of their houses set ablaze are fresh and people continue to be displaced, other than the economic aspects the doll-making also help in improving the mental health of the victims of violence by diverting the bad memories to create puffy, beautiful dolls, that give them self-confidence and hope.

Monish Karam, the founder of 1 Million Heroes explains how this project germinated.

"I was living in Singapore when the violence started in May.

We wanted to do something for the people back home to help rebuild their lives.

We were brainstorming what to do.

We wanted to do something very sustainable.

So, the best idea we could come up with is to do something where we can use our own skill and combine it with technology.

Our women are quite good in handicraft and handlooms.

And that is something we wanted to take leverage of.

We realised that we can create something creative.

Then the idea of dolls came and eventually we narrowed it down to crochet dolls.

And these dolls are not mere dolls.

We believe they are the symbol of hope and vessels of storytelling," Monish Karam said.

While the entire process of production is taken care of by 1 Million Heroes, including aspects like designs, market research, supply of raw materials, tools and implements, branding, marketing and even sales, the trainees only have to create the dolls and supply it to 1 Million Heroes for sale.

"Most proceeds will go to the dollmakers.

"Once they are able to create a doll, based on the specs provided to them, there will be multiple rounds of quality checks.

Once the checks are done, we'll be sending them to our pre-ordered clients.

So how do we get the initial pre-orders/sales.

First, before the end of September, we're running a kick starter campaign which will be asking people to be the generous adopters of the dolls to get pre-orders directly from the kick-starter campaign as well as from our app.

Once we are done with that, we will be allocating different orders across multiple relief camps that we were engaged with.

We're also engaging with corporates to include this project as part of their CSR initiatives".

When a person or a child buys or adopts a doll, what they will get besides the physical doll is an augmented reality app which will display the 3D replica image of the doll.

The child is able to engage and interact with the dolls and share life lessons, show gratitude for adopting a doll and helping the displaced people have a sustainable livelihood.

Agom Sangeeta Leima (48), another resident from Sugnu whose village was attacked on May 28th, said the doll making training has boosted her confidence by showing her a way to overcome financial challenges.

"I'm participating in this training programme hoping to earn some income.

I think learning this skill is beneficial.

It could be revenue generating if we're able to maintain production.

They came to help us out and offered to train us.

We readily accepted".

Fortunately, the 1 Million Heroes is not the only team that has come forward to help the IDPs.

Besides several private enterprises conducting livelihood activity training programmes at the relief camps, Manipur State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MSRLM) of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Department has also organised different livelihood activity training programmes, such as agarbatti-making, floor disinfectant like phenyl, detergent-making, liquid dish-wash making, cocoon reeling, scrunchies making and paper bag, targeting the IDPs sheltered in relief camps with the objective to generate easy cash with short term livelihood activities.

A total of 184 inmates staying at relief camps in Imphal East district alone have been benefited by way of wages through these programmes.

Contributing towards the rehabilitation of the inmates staying in the relief camps, Trade, Commerce & Industries commissioner PK Jha assured that the Manipur Handloom and Handicraft Corporation will buy all the products made in the relief camps and give money immediately.

After due deduction of investment on raw materials that are provided to the inmates free of cost, the sale proceeds will also go to the inmates who are the actual creators of the products.

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