Spring Break
Professors to travel to India to help poverty-stricken sari-weavers
Daniel Pettis
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: News
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Jerry Gosen and Sameer Prasad, management professors at UW-Whitewater, are heading to India this December to help sari-weavers facing extreme difficulties.
A sari is a traditional handmade garment made of silk, worn by men and women. The sari was traditionally worn by wealthy families in India. They are made and sold independently from the manufacturer's home.
The completed weaving of a sari can take a family up to two weeks, Prasad said.
Sari weaving was formerly a prosperous occupation. The industry now faces severe problems which threaten to make the weavers homeless.
Sari sales have slipped in recent years, as the country has become increasingly westernized. Cheap silk goods mass produced in Chinese factories have started selling more than the handmade goods made by the people of India, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
What was once India's second most common occupation is now struggling to survive. The weavers are facing poverty and are unable to provide for their families. Their entire way of life is disappearing.
Gosen is taking a sabbatical for his first trip to India. He said the pair plans to help use their business knowledge to educate sari weavers on how to adapt to a changing business climate in India.
"I want to do what I can for people," Gosen said. "I want to do everything with my expertise for people who can use it, and I thought the micro entrepreneurs could use my expertise."
Prasad and Gosen will be working closely with the Working Women's Forum, while on their trip.
The group is dedicated to improving the living situations of poor working women in India, according to the Working Women's Forum's Web site.
A group of sari weavers will be educated in their hometowns by the professors in three areas of business strategy in an attempt to make their businesses profitable again.
First, the trainees will learn market analysis and supply chain analysis. Secondly, they will be taught business skills to survive in the modern business environment. Finally, the training will teach the weavers networking skills, so they can establish better contact with others.
A sari is a traditional handmade garment made of silk, worn by men and women. The sari was traditionally worn by wealthy families in India. They are made and sold independently from the manufacturer's home.
The completed weaving of a sari can take a family up to two weeks, Prasad said.
Sari weaving was formerly a prosperous occupation. The industry now faces severe problems which threaten to make the weavers homeless.
Sari sales have slipped in recent years, as the country has become increasingly westernized. Cheap silk goods mass produced in Chinese factories have started selling more than the handmade goods made by the people of India, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
What was once India's second most common occupation is now struggling to survive. The weavers are facing poverty and are unable to provide for their families. Their entire way of life is disappearing.
Gosen is taking a sabbatical for his first trip to India. He said the pair plans to help use their business knowledge to educate sari weavers on how to adapt to a changing business climate in India.
"I want to do what I can for people," Gosen said. "I want to do everything with my expertise for people who can use it, and I thought the micro entrepreneurs could use my expertise."
Prasad and Gosen will be working closely with the Working Women's Forum, while on their trip.
The group is dedicated to improving the living situations of poor working women in India, according to the Working Women's Forum's Web site.
A group of sari weavers will be educated in their hometowns by the professors in three areas of business strategy in an attempt to make their businesses profitable again.
First, the trainees will learn market analysis and supply chain analysis. Secondly, they will be taught business skills to survive in the modern business environment. Finally, the training will teach the weavers networking skills, so they can establish better contact with others.
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