The Khadi Cloth
This quotation comes from J. C. Kumarappa in Why the Village Movement?, and it is in regular rotation here at Joining Yarns. Even if you’ve seen it before, I’d like to invite you to pause and read again.
“You, my sisters, perhaps it is your husbands who earn the money for your family, but it is you who are determining how that money is spent; in so doing you are deciding the fate of your village. You may choose to buy the beautiful silk made in France or Belgium, or you may choose the khadi cloth made by your sister and your neighbor. When you choose the khadi cloth, you are investing in more than cloth—you are investing in your neighbor, her children, and your village. As you watch the children walking to school in the morning, fed by the earnings of their mother, you realize that you and they are woven together through the cloth. You and your village are richer in proportion to the number of stories that unite you."
With the purchases you make, think about the village you are investing in. Where do you imagine the money you spend goes after purchasing your item? Whose future are you supporting? How are you cultivating ‘the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible’?
I'm so grateful for the opportunity to invest in my local community. Farmers Markets and Craft Fairs are one way that I shop local and support those in my community. Click here to find the community events Joining Yarns will be attending.