US landscape architects designing change for women in India

Washington, May 5, 2015: Their mantra is to strike a balance between the built and natural environments, but an American landscape architect is using that very thinking to provide to ***** workers in India new careers in textile and design production. Called 'Anchal' or "the edge of a sari used to provide comfort and protection for loved ones", it is the brainchild of Colleen Clines, who co-founded the unique project with three fellow classmates after a trip to India during her time in graduate school. Her landscape architecture training gives Anchal a uniquely creative approach to all aspects of the organization, from the business model to the textiles produced in India, says Clines from the Kentucky chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Mainly working in Ajmer, Rajasthan, in partnership with Indian NGO Vatsalya, Anchal plans to expand the programme to encompass a holistic textile centre where all aspects of the products are met. It also plans to replicate this model in other cities. "Design can become the tool for sustainable solutions to gender inequality, social injustice and environmental degradation," Clines told IANS, explaining how an understanding of urban systems can be applied to complicated social systems. The Indian NGO looks at entrepreneurial opportunities for commercial ***** workers. Anchal meets this need by providing seed funding, design training, education workshops and access to the US market, she said. "In exchange, our partners recruit Anchal artisans and manage operations," Clines said. "More importantly, they offer the women a community of support, health programmes, counselling and local leadership that builds trust with a vulnerable population." "Together we offer a unique programme unmatched in its ability to create life-changing opportunities for exploited women in India," she said.