The Tsunamika doll

The 10th anniversary of the December 2004 tsunami was observed recently. Battered by the fury of nature, the women of Tamil Nadu who lost everything found solace in a doll. Called Tsunamika, or ‘child of the tsunami’, this doll has been part of a rehabilitation programme undertaken by Auroville’s Upasana Design Studio. Made of bits of waste cloth and thread, these little dolls have empowered fisherwomen who had no other source of livelihood. According to the quality and quantity of the dolls they made, these women could earn up to Rs 3,000 a month. Upasana has provided them with the raw material and bought the finished dolls in bulk, which were then distributed worldwide. With a million Tsunamikas going around the world, this doll became a symbol of hope. See www.tsunamika.org