Program: Kutch Kala

 

Program: Kutch Kala

At Sewa International, we realise and firmly stand by the fact that Skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development of any country. The economy becomes more productive, innovative and competitive through the development of a flourishing and self-sufficient skilled human capital.The increased pace of globalization and technological changes provide both challenges and growth opportunities for economic expansion and job creation. To take advantage of these opportunities as well as to minimise the social costs and dislocation, which the transition to a more open economy entails, the level and quality of skills that a nation possesses are becoming critical factors. There is always a difference between „knowing‟ and “performing‟, and the gap is explained by inadequacy of skill.

Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,674 km², it is the largest district of India. The literal meaning of the word ‘kutch’ is something that becomes intermittently dry & wet; a large part of the district, the Rann of Kutch, is a shallow wetland that submerges in water during monsoons & remains dry during other seasons.Not only isolated by distance, the district is also drought-prone & being a border district, Kutch has both an army and an air force base.

 

Gujarati Ahirs comprise a comparatively large group in Kutch and all of these various ethnic communities maintain & produce traditional dress and crafts of many types, including weaving, dyeing, printing, bandhani (tie and dye), embroidery, leather work, pottery, woodwork, and metalwork. The Sewa

 

‘KUTCH’ Initiative

 

Background:

 

The Earthquake which hit Gujarat in 2001 killed more than 20,000 people and injured about 1,70,000 people. Around 250 villages and 4,00,000 homes were destroyed. About 40 lakh people were affected in total. As the epicenter was located in Kutch, the entire region was the worst affected. Sewa International was involved in the reconstruction of 1800 houses, 14 villages, and more than 250 schools.