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Sunita

Written by:  Kapil Sharma – november 2021

5 Years back Sunita has joined Ecowings with no experience in upcycling or in bag making process. Before joining Ecowings she was working as a maid and used to wash dirty utensils at different places to earn some livelihood as her economic conditions were not very good.

She has two sons and one daughter along with husband and mother in law who is suffering from paralysis. Because her economic condition is not good and her entire livelihood is dependent on her husband, she has to contribute to her family and shoulder several responsibilities. She is completely illiterate because she was never sent to school as her parents left her in the beginning of her childhood. In view of such circumstances it was extremely challenging to move forward in life and cope with all these problems all together.

Learning the skills at Ecowings

She joined Ecowings with very basic common understanding like an innocent child who had a bundle of energy but not having any sort of skills. We involved her in various upcycled tasks and she absorbed every single thing like a sponge and groomed herself, accepted the culture of Ecowings and started to shape herself in such a manner so that she can deliver some measurable outcome.

She was introduced to various hand tools and their functions, understanding the measurements, reading the scales and knowing the millimeters and inches etc. How to develop the patterns and create the panels for bags and accessories. These were the challenging tasks in terms of learning and exploring yet she took all the challenges and grasped all the basic things bit by bit. Today she is one of the most skilled craftswoman who has five years of experience in bag manufacturing and has become a valuable asset for Ecowings who not only leads in Ecowings but also takes up most of the international projects right from its inception.

Lachende Sunita vrouw uit India

Interview with Sunita

We asked the following questions and innocently she replied to our curiosities.

Sunita, what you like the most in your life?

Bhaiya, I like everything when I am at Ecowings, because every day I learn new things here. Ecowings gives me new challenges on daily basis and iI try to solve the problem as best as I can. I love the process of craftsmanship of bags and accessories. It makes me feel extremely good till the evening I remain here under the Ecowings premises. I have made something from my hand and eventually it will be packed by me only with Ecowings brand tag.

What do you do after getting the monthly salary?

I generally deposit my salary to my bank so that I can save it for my family. I am very much eager to put forward my kids in good schools and day would soon come when my daughter would get married so for the same I need to save money right from the beginning.

After joining Ecowings did you realize any incremental growth in your social and economic status?

Of course. I got raised three times. And on the festivals also we received good amount of money along with gifts and sweets. There is lot of flexibility with Ecowings as Uma didi understands us very deeply and supports us at all level.

What you want to do in future at Ecowings? What are your expectations?

I will continue and love to do good job. Learn new things and skills.

How people see you in your family when you go back to your home after finishing your Ecowings taks?

They expect lot many things. I had to cook food for people then so much pending house hold work like washing cloths and taking care of my mother in law etc.

Once you deliver the full project, what do you feel afterwards?

What is going to be next? Ready for the next job work. I don’t want to sit without any work.

What are your key learnings at Ecowings?

Many. I learnt how to make men’s belt, notebooks, bag panels cutting, bag detailing etc.

What is the best thing you like the most at Ecowings?

Environment! Earlier I used to work as a maid and used to wash kitchen utensils. People used to call me ‘Bai’ which I never liked. But when I joined Ecowings in our society people don’t call me “Bai”. I feel lot of respect within myself and sometimes people don’t believe as I work in a Bag company.

Do you have anything in your mind which you want to do at Ecowings?

I want to see more people around me. It is always a great feeling when lot many women are working together here. We enjoy that environment a lot.

Which product do you like the most at Ecowings?

Panda!

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Your bag is as unique as you are

The special thing about Ecowings bags and accessories is that they are all a ‘one off’. You can see the rough life of the car tire in it. A colored stripe, a repair patch, a fold, a piece of worn tire and a unique profile. It is the history of the strap that is reflected in the rubber and that makes every handmade bag or accessory unique. Just like you!

Car tire looks like leather

Car inner tube is a very good alternative to leather: it is strong, waterproof and lasts a long time. But above all, the material has character! Each piece of rubber inner tube has its own profile. Just like with animal skins.

 

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If a tyre could talk …

Rugged mountains, busy cities and small villages. Thousands of kilometers of asphalt, concrete slabs, cobblestones, gravel, clay and sand. A car tire encounters it all along the way. Curbs, traffic islands, nails, bottles, rain, chewing gum, melting asphalt. If a tire could talk, it would have a lot to say. They also have to endure a lot during those countless rides. Often the life of expensive truck tires is extended by patching punctured inner tubes when they are worn out. But what happens to them when they’re really gone? Every old car tire that ends up in the waste stream and is burned in the open air is one too many.

Tires used differently

With a little creativity you can do a lot with old car tires. We all know the tire planters, whether or not painted in cheerful colors and filled with nice plants. Often old tires also hang on the side of ships where they serve as fenders. And discarded tires and rubber granulate are very suitable for road verges, rubber tiles, insulation, (artificial) sports fields, athletics tracks, crash barriers, wall insulation, breakwaters and water control. The possibilities are endless.

How Ecowings contributes

Creatives around the world are finding new ways to recycle or upcycle old car tires every day. Tables, chairs, hammocks, lamps, works of art… And bags and accessories from Ecowings. Discarded truck inner tubes are being transformed in India into robust laptop bags, backpacks, women’s bags, belts, pencil cases, notebooks and wallets. In this way Ecowings offers local families in the Indore region a safe and permanent workplace where they are paid decently. In addition, they ensure that many inner tubes are not burned in the open air. And we are left with very special bags and accessories. What else do you want!

Do you also have a nice idea with old car tires?

Take a picture and share it with us via info@ecowings.nl

 

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Uma: spider in the Ecowings web

It is time we put the most important pivot in the Ecowings web in the spotlight: Uma! She is in charge of the daily management of the Ecowings office. Uma is the wife of Kapil, the designer who founded Ecowings. Together they have 1 son, Lakshya.

If that ain’t love

When asked what Uma means for Ecowings, her loving husband replies:

“She has contributed incredibly in Ecowings and still the journey continues. My part is just to give birth to new products but those babies are getting wings and fly in the sky just because of Uma’s dedication and consistent effort in every single detail.

The sun rises with Ecowings and sun set happens with Ecowings and in between there is Uma.

I am not praising as she is my wife but I truly believe she is a good committed human being who wants to learn new things and puts her remarkable efforts. I don’t know any other lady who has such great determination for life and work.”

The many challenges

There are countless activities that are required when running a social enterprise such as Ecowings. On the production side, there is the supplier selection, material sourcing, supervising the workmanship, quality control. In addition, there are challenges related to international trade and export resolutions, certifications, banking and billing issues, inventory management, trade relationship management, packaging and much more.

But above all, managing the workforce is a major challenge: labor management, hiring new skills, skills training and development. Or as Kapil puts it:

The most crucial task for her is to bind all the craftswomen on one common skill level where they are expected to excel their skill set in the most precise manner. Understanding their psychology, listening their pain points, morally supporting them on every task and in their life, elevating their skillset, grooming their personality on daily bases. It’s the every day challenges which Uma exceptionally deals with. She excels her energy to produce nonstop results and outcomes.

 

Assistance

Recently, Uma has received assistance from Sandhya, a lady who can also read, write and count. It can take over part of the supervision of production and quality control. But the major responsibility for running the Ecowings office rests with Uma. Hats off and many thanks to this amazing woman!

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Back to business after Corona

Corona has had a significant impact on our way of working. Now that the end of the pandemic is gradually in sight, it is clear that employers and employees have developed a new way of working. This is also apparent from the SCP-survey into working from home before and during corona time. You may already be going to the office a few days a week, but working from home has now become a regular part of our lives. It is important that you are flexible and can work anywhere. Not only at home, but also in a coffee bar, hotel lobby or other temporary workplace. And don’t forget the park when the weather is nice. The right ‘tools’ are essential for this. A laptop with internet connection and a good bag that serves as a portable office. You guessed it, Ecowings bags are fully equipped for the ‘new way of working’. With sewn-in pads to protect your laptop, numerous pockets to store chargers, earbuds and accessories. Moreover, our bags are only practical, they are also all unique and circular. Win, win, win!

Feel at home in your work

The biggest advantage of working from home is that you are in your own environment and do not have to be immediately ‘on’ when you sit down behind your laptop. Start up quietly with a steaming cup of coffee, your phone on airplane mode and your favorite music on. No colleagues or managers to take into account. It may sound crazy, but if your working day starts relaxed, you often end it more productively. Also keep those moments of rest that you have at home at the office. A walk during lunch. Fifteen minutes staring blankly out the window. Don’t always sit down at the same workplace, so you also get to know another colleague.

Take your responsibility

Working from home has also taught us that we often have to solve problems ourselves. After all, just walking to a colleague is a lot more difficult. It turns out that this is not necessary at all, if we think logically and rely on our own skills we can figure it out on our own. So take your responsibility at the office too, so you not only promote your own self-confidence, your colleagues can continue working because they are not disturbed.

Working from home works better

Many executives feared that employees would be much less productive at home. Nothing is less true. We may actually work fewer hours, but we make much better use of the hours we do. This is mainly because you can organize your own time at home. Just empty the dishwasher, do some laundry, pick up the kids from school and then go bang again. Employers would therefore do well to give employees the freedom to organize their working day themselves. This is how you boost productivity!

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Be careful with those raw materials

In 2021, Earth Overshoot Day will be on July 29. And that’s not a festive day!  Earth Overshoot Day is the day on which worldwide all raw materials on earth have already been used for the rest of the year. At the moment, 1.75 times the Earth is needed to supply all the raw materials. And if everyone would live like we do in the Netherlands, we would need more than 3 times the Earth to meet the demand for raw materials.

So be careful with those resources!

Earth Overshoot Day per land

India

It is interesting to see in the overview above that India does not yet have an overshoot day. Per capita consumption in the world’s second largest country is not yet in danger. But that’s just an average, and it’s changing very quickly.

On the  overshootday.org website there is a nice interactive map where you can see what existing projects are being carried out around the world to live in balance with nature. It is encouraging that more and more people are aware that we must ensure that we use these raw materials more economically. In this way we can ensure that the overshoot day is moved further in time, in other words: #MoveTheDate

Ecowings contribution

In our view, reusing materials is the best way to combat depletion of the earth. At Ecowings we remove the inner tubes of trucks from the waste stream. In this way we use the raw materials that are already there and give them a second life. Read our mission statement here.

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Ecowings as a fantastic learning school

From the training program “Social Entrepreneurship” of FutureProof Online, we, Finn, Sanne and Charlotte, have been able to do a project at Ecowings. See a snapshot of one of our online meetings here! From the training program we received all kinds of workshops for 10 weeks to get to know the world of social entrepreneurship better: from design thinking, storytelling to project management. In addition, we were able to immediately put this knowledge into practice by working at an already existing start-up. Our eye had fallen for Ecowings; We couldn’t pass up the possibility to have a look behind the scenes at such a great sustainable brand!

The assignment

Our assignment for Ecowings was mainly based on mapping the needs of the target group and potential customers. We were able to make this clear in particular by conducting a survey among a broad target group. In addition, we also tried to find an answer to the question of how we can best reach potential customers and we have provided extensive tools for this in the form of a social media strategy. So keep an eye on the socials! 😉 Being able to serve your target group even better means increasing the sale of bags and of course the social impact from Ecowings: that even more people become aware of the Indian and global waste problem and that rubber is a great alternative to leather and other animal skins.

The experience

We also had a great time as Team Ecowings. Together with Angela we made a nice journey through different facets of social entrepreneurship. After weeks of working together online, it was finally time for us to travel to Amsterdam on 18 July for a nice drink on a terrace at the Rembrandtpark. In the sun we toasted to a successful project. And the hard work was rewarded with icing on the cake: we were the winning support team from FutureProof Online! The training program was rounded off with a pitch event in which all participants could show what they had done recently. Our Sanne had the honorable task of doing this for team Ecowings and with enormous success! Finally, we have been greatly inspired by the story of Ecowings and the way Angela has shaped her business, so who knows what great things lie ahead…

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A waste mountain turns into a mountain of bags and accessories

Angela among the bags

I am Angela Rooijmans, mother of two sons, avid rower and social entrepreneur. After living in India for a while, I returned to the Netherlands ten years ago. In addition to the hospitality of the Indians, the beautiful nature of the country and of course the delicious food, a less positive memory also remained. The large amount of waste on the street where cows (sacred animals, of course) rummaged in search of food.

Upcycling is a solution

The enormous mountain of waste that ends up in the environment in India, among other places, also creates opportunities for the local population. For example, I saw that many Indian designers developed initiatives to do something with that waste. The aim is twofold, to reduce the mountain of waste and create employment for the local population.

Support from the west

Too often these kinds of ideas fail because there is no healthy revenue model to link to them. My background and contacts in the prosperous west gave shape to my mission: to support Indian initiatives in the field of people, animals and the environment by selling their products in Europe. Ten years ago I started under the name Emax Domina with a very wide range of upcycled products, but after a year the focus shifted to bags and accessories from discarded inner tubes.

Ready for the future

Over the years, Ecowings has grown into a beautiful and strong brand with a special collection of sturdy backpacks, practical laptop bags and handy accessories. All made in India from truck inner tubes. There is now also a branch within Ecowings that makes products on commission with the logo of the relevant company, organization or institution.

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Ecowings delivers food aid

The impact of corona (or Covid19) on everyday life in India is huge. The vast majority of the Indian population works in the informal economy, which means that many of the workers are so-called day labourers. They get paid per day. And if there is no work, then there is no money. For the majority of these workers there is no social protection.

When India went into lockdown, the middle classes were forced to lock themselves in their homes. Many domestic helpers, drivers, etc. were sent home. Many businesses and shops closed. Projects came to a standstill. This of course meant that there was hardly any more employment for these day laborers. And prices for everyday food actually rose significantly.

In India, about a third of the population belongs to the so-called middle class. They are materially in good to very good shape. Some are extremely rich. And some of those extremely wealthy have also initiated a lot of large aid projects. Like Amitabh Bachcha, nicknamed ‘Big B’ – one of the richest and most famous Bollywood actors. He said he had spent about €250,000 on emergency aid, but that was not nearly enough according to public opinion! Nobles oblige!

       

A small stone

Ecowings has contributed to emergency aid for the less fortunate. During the lockdown, the Ecowings workshop also had to close. But the permanent employees are still paid. In addition, all women who worked at Ecowings on a temporary basis last year were contacted, and tailor-made assistance was offered to all of these women. Some had left for their native village, some had stayed in Indore and could be helped with food or money. But Ecowings also delivered immediate food aid. Because Himanshu Sharma – Kapil’s brother – works in the police, he was licensed to be on the streets during the lockdown. He has distributed food parcels on the street to the needy. They may be drops in the ocean, but every little bit helps.

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8 maart – International Women’s Day

Vrouwen Ecowings

On March 8, we will celebrate International Women’s Day and show solidarity with all women around the world who fight for good working conditions, fair pay and equal opportunities!

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The designer and founder

Ecowings management team

Kapil, Angela, Uma – Indore 2015

The designer and founder

Kapil Sharma is the creative force behind Ecowings. He is responsible for the product development and design of Ecowings bags and accessories. Kapil has a passion for upcycling, nature conservation, innovation and traditional handicrafts. He is very motivated to make sure that the environment and people are treated better in India. Ten years ago, he started upcycling some waste streams to make usable products. Old truck tires turned out to be extremely suitable for this purpose and thanks to his knowledge and innovative talent, he has come up with a product line of excellent quality. Because of his large network of local craftsmen, he has managed to gather a professional team around him.

Kapil graduated in product design from the Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune. Complemented by a diploma in graphic design and a diploma in electrical engineering. He currently works, alongside Ecowings, as an assistant professor at Avatika University – School of Design. He is very driven to transfer his passion and knowledge to the younger generation.

Kapil is married to Uma and together they have a son. He is a real family man with a big and social heart. In his spare time he enjoys doing yoga.

The commercial and organizational strength

Uma Sharma is co-founder of Ecowings in India. The day-to-day management, finances, international trade activities and logistics are in capable hands with her.

Uma has a master’s degree in HR management and marketing from Sikkim Manipal University. She was born in Kota, in Rajastan. She has been married to Kapil since 2011 and together they have a son, Lakshya. She loves to cook and is a convinced and outspoken vegan.

Sales and marketing in Europe

Angela Rooijmans joined Ecowings in 2014. After living in India for a few years, she became fascinated by the waste problem. It is her mission to support local social enterprises in India by finding a market for their products in Europe. Her office is located in Aalsmeer.

Angela has a master’s degree in Management Information Science and has recently started studying Religious Studies at the Free University. She is married and the mother of two adult sons. Her main hobbies are rowing and reading.

Ecowings Management Team 2016

Uma, Angela, Kapil – Indore 2016

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