By Jonathan Levi, Semester at Sea, Spring 2017
Once returning to Kochi, I visited the LuLu Mall, close by to the hotel I was staying at for the night. In the largest mall in India, I stopped by a store that friends from home and Semester at Sea recommended I see. The store was called Fabindra India, a social enterprise, Indian retail chain that sells handmade fabrics, garments, and scarves. After spending some time there, I spoke with an employee that told me how important authenticity was for them. Everything sold there is handmade by craftspeople across rural India. The store is a for-profit company but instills it message of homemade goods into its mission statement. The importance of authenticity has helped the hundreds of craftsmen around India sell their products at the price they deserve. Overall, India was very interesting. I saw everything that I could have possibly seen and more! I do not plan to come back to India anytime soon, though. Until next time!
Here is a video about the social objective to support artisans in India and promote authenticity.
