Ponnani’s health knickers go global

ALAPPUZHA: A British  celebrity has endorsed a product made by a few underprivileged women in Ponnani giving a boost to their activities. It is the  ‘health-infused’ knickers made with the yarn coated with  herbs and plants that have caught the attention of actress Felicity Kendal. A pair of these knickers were presented to her recently by British national Christine Snow who founded  'Kerala Crafts,' an organisation of a group of women in Ponnani, Malappuram district, two decades ago.

A report about  Ms Snow presenting the costume to Ms Kendal in the UK  was published by British newspaper ‘The Bath Chronicle’ on September 14. Ms Snow, a native of  Oldfield Park,  UK, has been running  Kerala Crafts from her home to support the  women  dressmakers from Ponnani.  The knickers are best to wear while resting or meditating as the benefits are enhanced  when the body is naturally healing and re-balancing itself.

“Ms Kendal was enthusiastic  and interested in what we are doing. She gave me some good ideas for new projects. The appreciation of the actress was a great honour to  these underprivileged women. Kerala Crafts came into being after a holiday I spent in Kerala and witnessed the plight of many marginalised people, particularly women. I visited a women’s welfare centre and was impressed with the quality, designs and colours of the baskets they were making.  

I brought back a few baskets and showed them to the families and friends in the UK. Now these  women have created history by impressing  even an international celebrity,” she said. Ms Kendal, who spent some of her childhood days in India, supported Ms Snow’s  charity.  “Most of the women in Ponnani are brilliant dressmakers. They are mostly single or widowed  and many  are the  breadwinners in their families,” she said.