Kochi: The weavers of Chendamangalam will never forget the experience of the 2018 floods when hundreds of people supported them. Though the weavers are yet to recover fully from the near-extinction they faced, they are extending a helping hand to the flood-affected in Malabar.
The weavers' society has donated handloom dhotis to the inmates of relief camps in the northern districts.
"The society members have woven more handloom products for the upcoming Onam festival season. This is the first festival season after the 2018 deluge and the weavers are looking at it with great expectations. But it is our responsibility to help those who stood with us in our hard time," said T.S. Baby, president of the Paravur Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society.
The society handed over the clothes to Gopalji Foundation, the NGO which supported the weavers to repair and restore the damaged and lost looms in 2018.
"It is the benevolence of hundreds of people from across the state and other places which helped us survive the calamity. With the support of the people and various agencies, the weavers could sell the entire stock of drenched and damaged handloom clothes. Initiatives like Chekkutty dolls helped us immensely," added Baby.
The Gopalji Foundation is also planning to collect handloom towels and saris from other handloom societies at Chendamangalam.
The weavers may not be able to produce enough quantity of dhotis and other handloom products for this Onam as the handloom units operating in houses were affected by the heavy rain and floods. "The weavers shifted looms and yarns to safer places when water entered their houses. But no handloom societies have been affected," said C.S. Saritha, secretary of Kuriappilly handloom unit.
