Questions  

Why do we do what we are doing? What’s in it for us? Is there any hidden agenda? These are questions that we at the AHC Foundation are often asked.. 

(Senior Weaver Murugavel is overwhelmed - he just completed weaving a spectacular pure 60 * 40 cotton Korvai. He silently remembers the good old days)

Everything we are trying to do is for the artisans, the weavers who are tirelessly trying to uphold and preserve the rich craft culture and heritage of our nation.. the artisans who are often the most neglected, abused and marginalized sections of society.. and what is it that they ask for.. for someone to repose their trust and faith in them, to give them a fair opportunity, to give them decent wages, to provide continuous work.. that’s what the 20 of us have set out to do.. it’s for the glimmer of hope and pride we see in those eyes, for the laughter that echoes, for the stories and wisdom that is shared and for the magic that’s created..

(Senior Weaver Vadivel loves working the old traditional way. He just completed a Korvai Silk)

Our determination, foucussed intent and faith in our objectives, enabled us to keep 20 looms alive in the face of the global pandemic and the chaos and misery created by the ensuing lockdown.

(Some of our work done all through Covid)

All the products that we showcased over the last year and that are currently under production are a reaffirmation of our beliefs and the ultimate vision we all hold so dear. We take great pride in the fact that we ensured proper safety measures were in place for the artisans and despite all the work, we did not have a single Covid case.

பொங்கலோ பொங்கல்

And as we now look forward to celebrating the harvest festival of Pongal with our artisanal family of nearly 100 people, we are sure we have embarked upon the right path and this journey is going to be soul satisfying.

As Mahatma Gandhi rightly said

“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” and we at the AHC Foundation are determined to bring about that change.

(6 year old Abhinaya, our Master Weaver's daughter - the aspiring next gen weaver, she already has it in her )

 And finally this is why we do what we do..to inspire the future generation to take up their ancestral crafts, to create a bright future for them and for the sheer beauty and innocence of these smiles..

Priya Ramakrishnan
Founding Member & Administrator
The Ambassadors of Heritage and Crafts Foundation