Chungi Showcases Rural Women Artisans’ Labor Of Love
Chungi was started in 2014 with the aim to create livelihood opportunities for handicraft artisans and women across India to provide them with an online platform to showcase their talents. Shweta Tiwary, founder of Chungi store has an extensive work experience in the advertising industry. Her credentials as a creative professional include various campaigns and television commercials with India’s finest advertising agencies like Euro RSCG, Law and Kenneth, Mudra, Interface, R.K.Swamy and so on. Some of the impressive brands she has worked for are Nestle, Maruti, AMW trucks, Mahindra, Oreo, Dabur and many more. Over to Shweta to tell us more about her novel initiative.
“Chungi was an outcome of the thought of giving back to the society. After having created successful campaigns and selling others’ products, I realized I can create a brand for someone in desperate need and sell their products on their behalf. India is a heritage of art and craft and handloom in the world. However, that is dying because of the lack of organized markets, proper loan services, and unfair competitions; all this is killing the artisan industry that provides employment to the largest number of people after agriculture. So the need of the time is to revive our artisans and women from rural pockets of India and create livelihood opportunities for them.
Vision
We vision to empower and provide financially independence to women and artisans through skill development. And, at the same time create fair market place through online retail website of Chungi store
Chungi is a For-profit, social enterprise. We primarily focus on enhancing the skill sets of underprivileged women, and then provide them with raw materials like thread, cloth, paint, brush, needle etc to create products. We also believe in the flexibility of work and therefore, provide remote, work-from-home options for these women too.”
“In many ways Chungi is a revolutionary brand that provides a platform to artists who have not been able to keep up with the changing times and fallen prey to the modern technologies. The artists who have not been recognized for their art, Chungi as a platform aims to give a new lease of life to their talent.”
Our Artists
Rinki
Rinki contributes towards the amazing collection of products with Crochet work. She is helping Chungi revive the traditional art of crochet work. Before joining Chungi, Rinki and her husband were settled in a remote village. The village didn’t have any basic facilities. There were no proper roads, no electricity supply, the village also didn’t have a school. But, Rinki was determined to educate her children. Both she and her husband weren’t educated.
To achieve her dreams and secure the future of her children, Rinki and her husband shifted to Gaya. Rinki joined Chungi and now contributes towards the household expenses. Now her children are enrolled in a school and she pays the fees for their education.
Rupa
Rupa is one of the gems of Team Chungi. Naturally gifted artists, she creates most beautiful crochet works. She is able to complete her work with the least amount of supervision. She does the finest crochet work. Her sister is also a part of team Chungi and is contributing towards revival of crochet work.
Her father runs a TV and fan repair shop and her mother works as a maid in households in the locality. Rupa also helps her mother with her the household chores like cleaning, cooking and washing. The family income was not enough to meet all their needs.
Both Rupa and her sister create beautiful crochet products like mats, cushion covers, crochet patches for sarees and napkins. Rupa loves to dress up, wear make-up and use accessories. Her income from Chungi is invested in fulfilling her needs; she purchases dresses, payal (anklets), bindi and bangles. Reviving the art of crochet is helping her fulfill her needs. Rupa’s talent requires exposure to a larger platform. Though her community is not supportive of her talent yet that isn’t deterring her to get closer to achieving her dreams.
