Over the years , it has been realized that group members could not substantially raise their income levels by production activities due to factors such as quality, price and stiff competition in the market. Therefore, CRUSADE restricted skill training in activities such as tailoring, embroidery and kalamkari ( hand drawing using vegetable dyes ) which widened employment opportunity to women trained.

Kalamkari unit was started with start up funds from West DEN in UK which also provided funds for training the trainer. The trainer underwent training in a institution in the city and she in turn trained 6 women members who are engaged in producing Greeting cards, bags , file folders , wall hangings , cushion covers , etc. West DEN is researching on market in UK for the products. Five trained women members have earned around Rs 30,000 by supplying items to West DEN and by supplying file folders for training programmes held locally.

 

TAMWED was a charity set up in Devon in UK in response to TSUNAMI tragedy in South India. TAMWED has provided funds for training women from CRUSADE and Manushi(Cuddalore) in Kalamkari & embroidery and for setting up production units. Presently two women from Manushi are undergoing training in Kalamkari at CRUSADE training centre in Minjur.TAMWED has been successful in securing Big Lottery fund for a research project with Manushi and CRUSADE to develop a proposal for addressing health and development needs in the two communities.