fairly traded gifts from poor communities around the world Created, part of the charity TEARFUND engaged in marketing fairly traded products from poor communities in the developing world fairly traded gifts from poor communities around the world

Welcome to Chennai Welcome to Chennai – formerly known as Madras. India’s 4th largest city Chennai is a vibrant commercial city, home to more than 4 million of India’s 1 billion people. The British have played a part in it’s history since the early 1600s.

There are several Christian churches and chapels in the city. This is the parish church of St George of the left and Created partner CMCT’s chapel on the right The Christian population are very heavily involved bringing the gospel alongside social welfare work throughout Chennai.

Colleen Redit, seen here supervising a visit to village handicraft workers, went to India from New Zealand as a missionary in 1964. She began to work with teenage girls in Madras. In 1976 she rented a garage and started a handicraft group called Haven of Hope Handicrafts which is part of the wider mission that she founded, Christian Missions Charitable Trust (CMCT)

CMCT Ministries are now housed in this large building in central Chennai. It is purpose built and very central so it serves their needs very well – a far cry from the original garage and well placed to be able to bring Christ’s love to some of the poorest of the poor in the city.

From small beginnings the handicraft project grew, now there are over 100 women and girls being trained and employed in tailoring and embroidery. This is the tailoring section on the ground floor of the CMCT building.

The senior supervisors and instructors are responsible for training and quality control. Padmavady and Rosalyn (on the left of the picture) started out as young girls in the original garage!

There is a tutorial section where the training takes place The girls are trained in cross stitch and tailoring. They can sit government exams.

Many of these girls come from the slum areas of the city, it really is a haven compared with the some of the conditions they have to face. This is the doll making section

The products are sold around the world by Christians who support the work. Embroidered cards are popular as well as being easy to pack and send overseas. Created have been buying products since the early 80s and have helped with design assistance.

The ‘cat’ range combines the skills of the screen printers, the seamstresses and the embroiderers at CMCT Details are ‘lifted’ out of the picture using red embroidery. Cats are always a popular motif with our customers. This one is called Hudson and belonged to Becca who designed the range for Created.

Some of the products are sold in Chennai through a Christian business, CT Philip Associates. They have a superb craft emporium which attracts many shoppers. Thomas Philip also deals with CMCT’s exports to Created. He sells and exports products from Indian artisans ensuring that they receive a fair deal. Created buys jewellery, handmade paper products and some textiles from CT Philip.

The CMCT building has a hostel on one floor which is home to some of the handicraft girls who have nowhere else to live. It is shared with slum children who are being educated by CMCT. Over 250 young people live in the hostel.

There are a lot of mouths to feed! Thousands of meals are cooked in this kitchen. Children who come from the slum areas into CMCT’s primary school enjoy a nutritious midday meal – for many this is the only one they will have.

As part of their social welfare programme, CMCT run a number of soup kitchens in the slum areas of Chennai. 300 people are fed through this programme. The poorest people are identified by the social workers who work with the slum dwellers. This soup kitchen is in Washermanpet.

A new Bethany Senior School building has recently been constructed on the outskirts of the city. This caters for 350 children who are brought in by bus in each day. It is hoped than once it becomes established, local children will also be able to be admitted. The primary age children are educated in a converted house, near CMCT’s main building in Chetpet.

Many of the handicraft girls and schoolchildren come from the slum areas. This one runs along the edge of the Coovam river.

At monsoon time the river swells and homes often become flooded At monsoon time the river swells and homes often become flooded. The homes are built on rubbish with little or no facilities.

A comprehensive medical work is carried out in the main building and by medical teams who regularly visit the slums and surrounding village areas. Patients with more complex symptoms are moved to specialist hospitals in the city and their care is funded by CMCT. Often medical specialists will give their services free or at a reduced rate because they are aware of the excellent work being done by the mission.

CMCT has recently become involved in a Leprosy village some distance from the main city called Alampakkam. Some of the leprosy sufferers here are in a desperate state. Most are, or have been, beggars. Although their disease is cured the effects have left them seriously disabled. CMCT have links with an experienced retired doctor who has 35 years of experience in treating leprosy. He visits regularly with a small team from CMCT. A self help scheme has been introduced where families have been given goats to rear and breed. Some of the younger women are being trained in sewing and embroidery with a view to increasing their capacity to earn some income.

In the rural areas, the views may be much more pleasant but the poverty can be just as acute. CMCT is involved with some rural village projects, one in Kastur in Mysore State and one in a village called Venganampalli, about 3 hours drive west of Chennai.

Here, the women come together to do cross-stitch work in a community centre building For these isolated village women it provides both a way of earning an income and an opportunity to improve their self esteem.

Each time a team from CMCT visits, new work is taken for the women Each time a team from CMCT visits, new work is taken for the women. Bundles containing the cloth, pattern and embroidery threads are given out.

Careful records are kept of completed work so that the women can be paid. The pieces of cross-stitch work are taken back to CMCT in Chennai and stitched onto products such as towels, wash mitts and baby bibs. A CMCT medical team accompany craft supervisors so that people can receive free treatment for minor ailments and anything more serious can be picked up.

TSUNAMI DISASTER On Boxing Day 2004 a giant tsunami wave claimed a quarter of a million lives, and destroyed countless homes and livelihoods. The Tamil Nadu coast. The beaches of Chennai were deluged.

At the time fishing communities in this area were situated literally right on the beach. Along the Chennai stretch of beach many slum colonies were also washed away.

The beaches now look calm and beautiful again The beaches now look calm and beautiful again. For many people who lost loved ones, their homes and livelihoods the scars remain.

Early in 2005, CMCT were quick to get involved in the relief effort Early in 2005, CMCT were quick to get involved in the relief effort. They identified a village called Chinnakuppam, 80km south of Chennai, near Pondicherry. There are 200 families in this village – all of whom are dependant on fishing for their livelihoods. Although there was no loss of life in this village, all the boats, nets and many homes had been lost.

CMCT gave relief aid to the families, distributing food, clothes, blankets and medical help. They decided to adopt this village and be responsible for its complete rehabilitation – a huge commitment.

The next priority was to obtain new boats and nets so that the men could return to their work.

Three years later, much has already been achieved including the construction of a community centre. In a room in this building, CMCT are training a group of young women in sewing and embroidery to give them a means of increasing their family income.

Work began to re-build the village, constructing all the homes in accordance with Govt. regulations. A safe distance from the shoreline. Contractors were employed and teams from overseas churches came out to help. The villagers were finally able to occupy their new homes in February 2011

For families that were living in makeshift repaired houses, having a new home will make a huge difference to their daily lives. CMCT have future plans for a medical centre and hope to extend the work to include other local communities, not just those affected by the tsunami.

Jesus said that He came to bring fullness of life Jesus said that He came to bring fullness of life. CMCT are continuing that ministry in a very tangible way and Created are playing a small but important part. Together we are helping to transform the lives of the poor and marginalised in and around Chennai.