In order to secure the education of another impoverished community, Sarva supports a weaving co-operative called Kilmora, in a remote village in the Kumaon Himalaya.
Kilmora is a company promoted by the Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (CHIRAG), an Indian organisation that has been working in rural communities since 1986. CHIRAG's areas of involvement include natural resource management; agricultural and horticultural extension, health, education, and rural livelihoods. Recognising that running an enterprise requires a mind-set unhampered by the many concerns of a development agency, CHIRAG set up Kilmora as an independent company.
Kilmora has a two-pronged approach: using local resources to supplement rural incomes, and introducing new skills to expand employment opportunities for local people. Kilmora has trained 12 weavers and 4 finishers from the area in knitting and weaving. They are all young women and men whose incomes go towards supporting their families. While income from the fruit crop is seasonal, weaving provides an alternative that pays throughout the year.
All proceeds raised from the sale of their merino wool shawls and scarves, both in India and through Sarvashubhamkara in the U.K., go towards the funding not only of the education of the next generation, but the building of their first hospital and infant and junior schools.