GSM c2c - Appeal for donation to replace Pre-Spinning Unit at Gram Sewa Mandal (GSM) Wardha

Dear Friend,

As you may be aware, Gram Sewa Mandal (GSM) that was established by Vinoba Bhave in 1934, has been involved in khadi cloth production with local spinners, weavers, dyeing & printing at Gopuri, Wardha since many years. We are happy to inform that our work to put in place the entire process of making non-GM (Genetically Modified) cotton into cloth at local level in Vidharbha region of Maharashtra is catching momentum. One major bottleneck in this process is to have our pre-spinning unit replaced and we seek your support for same. 

Our Pre-spinning machines are of 1920, 1948, 1951 year old and were not in use for some years. When we restarted our pre-spinning unit, we realised that replacing these with better machines will increase its working efficiency making the entire process of cotton to cloth, proficient and localised. 

How replacing pre-spinning unit at GSM will help?

Following diagram shows the process of making cotton to cloth and it is seen that pre-spinning unit is very crucial in obtaining Sliver for the whole process in order to prepare yarn. 

    > Currently farmers are dependent on GM cotton seeds. Self reliance on seeds is most important to improve farming situation through use of local, Non-GM Desi cotton seeds. These machines produce good sliver out of short stapled desi cotton. So we feel it necessary to make cloth from such cotton to help get sustainability and end product ready at local level. 
      >  It is possible to get upto 40 count yarn from the cotton varieties of Vidharbha but since there is no pre-spinning unit, all local khadi producers are depended on Central Sliver Plants situated outside Maharashtra for sliver. This causes delay in obtaining quality sliver on time as well as maintain its purity, thus impacting to produce quality yarn & cloth too.

    > Vidharbha is a major cotton producing region in Maharashtra yet cotton farmers don’t fetch much. It is seen that cotton farmers have to succumb to market rate to sell cotton. If instead of selling cotton, farmers are able to sell cloth as end-product directly to consumers, they may fetch better. This is possible if local cotton is used to prepare Slivers locally. Once Sliver is sought locally, spinning & weaving can easily take place at village level too, generating livelihood for many. 

Hence, replacing pre-spinning will benefit; 1. farmers growing desi, non-GM cotton, 2. those engaged in producing yarn and cloth locally and 3. provide consumers, cloth that is ecologically, economically & socially sustainable too. 

We, therefore seek your help to buy all the pre-spinning machines such as Ginning, Blowroom, Carding, Draw Frame and Speed Frame. Families of around 270 farmers, 355 spinners & 240 weavers will benefit through these machineries throughout the year. Approx. Rupees Twenty Lakh is required for buying these machines. Any amount of contribution is most welcome! 

Cotton cloth is not just a piece of fashion, but a seed- sown, grown, spun, woven with passion. It impacts our environment and many livelihoods too.  Like food, we are cloth consumers & like ‘slow food’ (i.e. natural, local & organic), we need ‘slow cloth’ too.

We solicit your support, a little help from you will go a long way in making it possible to strengthen infrastructure locally, bring self-reliance at gram level and make available ecological & holistic ‘safe-cloth’ to many.

Thanking You,

Karuna Futane (+91 7152 244722, +91 9422633771)

President, Gram Sewa Mandal, Gopuri, Wardha - 442001 Maharashtra, India

Tanmay Joshi (+91 8087502186) 

Ojas S.V. (+91 9403579416) 
Tejal V. (+91 9833707598)

Do contact any one of us OR email at gramsewamandal@gmail.com with subject line as ‘Reg. Donation for Pre-Spinning Unit at GSM'.

for PDF file of this text; https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B2uzUg1sJZQ0bVI1RWZodWF1LTA