There once was a Mumbai city girl who went on holiday and fell in love with a village boy, who also happened to be a biologist and leading tiger conservationist. She followed her heart to the jungles of Ranthambore, India where she eventually built her own ecosystem. And so, Dhonk Craft was borne. This enterprise upskills members of the local community (who were often dependent on poaching for an income) with artisan skills for an alternate, sustainable livelihood.
There once was a New Yorker who was lucky enough to visit Ranthambore as a tourist. She could never get the tale of Dhonk (and amazing goods!) out of her head. On a lark, she reached out to Dhonk and from this initial email (and eventually thousands of Whatsapp messages later!), TigerTales NYC came to be. And if you can believe it, these ladies still have not met in person!
As partners, we are separated by thousands of miles between us; however, we are united by one mission.
We believe that you can:
1. Buy gorgeous handmade goods made with heart and love,
2. Help others and help the environment while doing so, and
3. Look fantastic and feel great about it all!!
A simple yet profound question. Here are the faces of the amazing women and men at our partner, Dhonk Craft (front and center is Divya Khandal, the leader of Dhonk!).
Each on has their own story of overcoming hardship and letting joy and happiness prevail. We are grateful to our partner for its tremendous mission of empowering these individuals for a more sustainable livelihood. We can only end the cycle of hunting / poaching if we provide another way to earn income...how about that for deep thoughts every time you put on your clothes!
In addition to training men and women with artisan skills for a more sustainable livelihood, Dhonk provides a wide array of services and supports to its team including:
Children’s education
Healthcare loans
Microfinancing for purchase of livestock and machinery
Life insurance
Counseling on subjects such as domestic violence awareness, education
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