IBN : A Tsunami of Memories

A TSUNAMI OF MEMORIES

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Tsunamika dolls became a symbol of getting back to work, with spirits intact.

The Tsunamikas the women make are bought by Upasna Design Studio to be gifted away.

Tsunamika is not a doll. She is courage, she is hope. And she will far outlive the tsunami itself.

Ocean of Hope

Dolled up to live life

What is the best way to deal with grief? When one has lost everything, what solace can the heart find amid emptiness? Not only did families lose their loved ones but their homes, too. The accessories of kitchen memories, the pots and pans of daily comfort, the plants, the small chair — everything was swept away when the ocean rose in its fury. But light as a feather, bursting with colour, Tsunamika came into their lives and filled it with new resolve. A little doll that became a symbol of getting back to work, with spirits intact. In Nadukuppam, CNN-IBN's Divya Iyer fell in love with Tsunamika.

Sodanaikuppam (Tamil Nadu): Walking into the coastal village of Nadukuppam, one can feel a sense of calm. But the calm just belies the activity bustling within the huts.

The fisherwomen of this village have gathered in Prabhavati's house and are working overtime to meet deadlines — of sending the Tsunamika to the rest of the world.

A little doll created after the tsunami last year, Tsunamika is the brainchild of Upasana Design Studio in Auroville, Pondicherry. Made out of rags and industrial waste, the doll that entered the lives of the women of Nadukuppam in February this year, is now an integral part of their families.

The doll gives them a sense of self-worth, a job and money to run their homes.

"We never used to work before the tsunami hit. After the death and the destruction, our husbands lost their source of livelihood. But now because of tsunamika, we are running the house," says Kathiravalli, one of the women of the village.

"I went to Auroville to learn to build these dolls. When I came back I took it upon myself to train 45 women. It has given us all confidence and self-respect," says the leader of the group, Prabhavati.

When the tsunami struck last year, Uma Prajapati, founder of Upasana Design Studio, and her team went around six villages helping women learn the skill of making these simple dolls.

The project was initially begun as a way to keep the women occupied after the tragedy but later evolved into an occupation.

Now, the women of the village make the dolls and Upasana buys it from them. Upasana then gifts it to people. The doll doesn't come for a price. For one cannot buy hope, courage, determination and faith.

There's been an overwhelming response to Tsunamika. It has ambassadors all over the world. “People bypass cargo and take cartons of dolls home," says Uma.

The tsunamika, a symbol of joy, love and unconditional giving, is now being extended with stationary products and accessories.

With six villages producing nearly 80,000 tsunamikas a month, more than 300,000 dolls have already entered homes in various parts of the world.

For the women of Nadukuppam, creating these dolls has taught them resilience, the art of re-inventing lives. For Tsunamika is not a doll. She is courage, she is hope. And she will far outlive the tsunami itself.