Our work in India - The Gratitude Factory in Varanasi
Lately we have been receiving more and more questions about our work in India, where the Shakti Mats are made in the Gratitude Factory. Of course, this makes us very happy, because we have a beautiful story to share that will make you even happier to have purchased a Shakti Mat. By doing so, you have - perhaps even unknowingly - contributed to something even greater than just improving your well-being. Here, we'll be happy to tell you why.
Starting from the beginning: Who is actually "we"? A listing of the Shakti family
Before we dive deep into our work in Varanasi, we would like to introduce you to our Shakti family. We will be talking about "we" most of the time in this post.
In order to offer you and our readers the greatest possible transparency, it is important for us to explain at this point who actually belongs to the Shakti family, how we differ in what we do, and yet in the end contribute to a common goal.
Shakti Mat Global The origins of acupressure mat by the monk Om
It all started with the monk from Sweden Om Mokshananda. He studied the healing methods of the ancient Vedic traditions in the Himalayas in India and discovered the healing effect of the Indian nail board.
Why shouldn't the West also benefit from this method? So Om combined the knowledge from his earlier years as a massage therapist with the knowledge from India and Shakti Mat was born. Om is the founder and inventor of Shakti Mat. We have him to thank for the Gratitude Factory in Varanasi. In 2005 he bought the land and officially founded the factory where every single Shakti Mat is produced and manufactured by Indian women.
Shakti Mat meets New ZealandGeorge and Jon started the sale from their tent
In 2014, two young entrepreneurs from New Zealand came into the picture: George and Jon. They met Om during their travels and immediately fell in love with Shakti Mat. It was clear to them: They want to bring the healing effect to New Zealand.
There they immediately started selling the Shakti Mats, namely from their tent, where they also lived at that time. And it worked very well!
In the meantime, they no longer live in their tent and successfully distribute the Shakti Mat throughout New Zealand.
Let's bring the acupressure mat to Germany: Glynn and Stephanos from the Shakti Mat team in Berlin
By chance, Glynn and Stephanos met George and Jon from New Zealand during their travels. They immediately noticed the Shakti Mat. Of course, they immediately laid on it and were blown away. So they read up on Shakti Mat and met with the founders. After that it was clear: they wanted to bring the Shakti Mat to Germany as well, where they distribute it from Berlin today.
As part of the Shakti Mat family, we in Germany make sure that with the sale of every single Shakti Mat, we help women in India to produce and breathe life into the Shakti Mat in a great environment and under good conditions.
So when we talk about "our" work in this blog post, we are referring to the work of the entire Shakti family, who have conspired together to bring the healing benefits of the acupressure mat to the world under fair working conditions.
Our Gratitude Factory in India: How your Shakti Mat is produced
Our Gratitude Factory is located in Varanasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh in India, formerly also known as Benares. It is one of the holiest cities in India and is located on the left bank of the Ganges River. The much-traveled author Mark Twain once wrote of Varanasi that this city is "older than history, older than tradition, older than legend itself. But even if it is not really the oldest city in the world, one thing is certain: for Hindus, Varanasi has always been the holiest city in all of India."
Since the Gratitude Factory was founded by Om in Varanasi more than ten years ago, it has been the strict policy to hire only women. This is because Shakti Mat Global wants to promote women empowerment in India. It is mainly women who have to work hard in textile factories and for whom rights are reserved.
The entire production of Shakti Mats is designed to help women practice their traditional crafts, learn new skills and become financially independent. Not least because of this, the word "Shakti" in Sanskrit means "female creativity and education".
The Shakti Mat labor standards at the Gratitude Factory
When you talk about fair labor standards, it's important for us to be more specific. That's why we share with you here the working conditions under which the 75 women employed at the Gratitude Factory in Varanasi produce your Shakti Mat.
- Wages: The women are paid fairly. For us, fair means that they earn about twice what is normally paid for this work in Varanasi.
- Working hours. The women choose for themselves how long they want to work. Usually it is 8 hours, but it can also be less.
- Sickness, family care and vacation. If our employees fall ill or wish to take a vacation, they will continue to be paid their wages. Sounds obvious to us, but unfortunately it still isn't in India. Our safety net applies not only to the women themselves, but also to their family members. Here, we also cover the cost of prescribed medication in the event of illness.
- Religious practices and holidays. Because we know how important it is for women to participate in religious practices, our Factory is consecrated as a temple where there is a regular puja. This is a ritual practiced in Hinduism and is one of the most important parts of daily religious life. So the women can start every day with a prayer. In addition, they have the opportunity to take paid holidays to participate in religious events. In India, there are so many religious holidays, festivals and ceremonies. Therefore, on the important holidays, the workshop is closed and all workers still receive their usual wages. We know that these days are important for our female employees to feel part of society.
- Working Environment. The Gratitude Factory is air-conditioned, cleaned daily, no toxic chemicals are used and it is always checked that the women work in a safe environment.
Natural materials for healthy working conditions
Since all Shakti Mats are handmade by these women, it is important for us that they work only with materials that do not harm their health. In the production process, first the cotton is dyed with natural plant dyes and the Tibetan mandala is printed on the Shakti Mats using screen printing. Then the women press the lace onto the mats using a tool. This process ensures that the women are not exposed to harmful chemicals and that their workplace remains clean, hygienic and safe. For you, it means that your Shakti Mat is unique and no two are alike. This gives each Shakti Mat its individual charm.
Other initiatives in Varanasi
This year, the whole Shakti family joined forces to better support our Shakti Mat community in Varanasi. We also wanted to get our own impression of the conditions in Varanasi. That is why Jon and George from Shakti Team New Zealand traveled to Varanasi this year. We from Shakti Team Germany are planning a similar visit in March 2019. Based on this, we want to start a few initiatives in Varanasi.
1. Shakti Emergency Medical Fund
We have already invested 6,000€ and established an Emergency Medical Fund to support the women and their families in case of serious illnesses or accidents. We have noticed that families in India often have to fall back on all their possessions in case of illness for a beloved family member in order to guarantee adequate medical care. This often leads to the whole family living in poverty. This fund is intended to protect both the women who are employed by us and their families in case of misfortune. 2. Shakti Rising Scholarship
With this program we would like to enable 9 girls between the ages of 3 and 6 to attend a private school for their entire school career. This program is intended for families who normally cannot afford schooling. It has already started and will finance the schooling of the 9 girls until they are 18 years old.
3. expansion of our initiatives
Our company is growing and we are committed to increasing our production in a sustainable way that benefits everyone. Therefore, we are in the process of bringing our values from Varanasi to Delhi, where we ultimately want to build and maintain a long-term partnership with a workshop that meets our standards.
Since the establishment of Varanasi Gratitude Factory in 2005, we know that we are not perfect and still have a long way to go. And most definitely, unplanned situations and challenges will arise. For example, it has not escaped our attention that since the introduction of Shakti Mat, other competitors have come along who place less emphasis on good materials and fair production conditions.
This challenges us, but does not intimidate us, because we always have our goal in mind. The entire Shakti family wants to help make consumption more conscious, to put quality over quantity, and to focus on the people who make products.
Thanks to working with talented women in India, we are coming to understand how distinctive their unique craft and deep understanding of this method is. And it also makes them immensely proud that their skills are being transported out into the world and helping people alleviate discomfort. We are sure you will feel the same during your individual Shakti experience.
The entire Shakti family not only supports the Indian women in this endeavor, but together we create a foundation for these amazing women to practice their craft and passion. By purchasing a Shakti Mat, you are also taking a big step towards ensuring that this continues for a long time to come. For that, you deserve a big thank you from all of us.
Namasté,
