Chanderi & its Weavers' digital leapfrog

Started one year back, the Chanderi Weavers ICT Resource Center (CWIRC), by Digital Empowerment Foundation has leapfrogged into complete cyber age. The center which was started to help the 3000 plus family of weavers with better IT skills, English language, integration of traditional design with modern weaving and textile designing softwares, archiving historical and ancient designs, spread digital education, creation of entrepreneurial livelihood, and linking the local products with better market through e-commerce, is now maturing to phase 2 of its aspiration.

The CWIRC project is being implemented in association with Media Lab Asia with complete financial support from the Ministry of Communication & Information Technology, Govt of India ( GoI). CWIRC has also got tremendous support from Mr Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is the local Member of Parliament and also the Minister of State, Ministry of Commerce & Industry in GoI. He made a short visit to the center on February 5 and admired the entire facility and wished the best. Recently, the center has moved to Raja Mahal, which was a dilapidated historical building till last year, but has been fully renovated and conserved by INTACH. The relocation of CWIRC into Raja Mahal perfectly creates a situation of amalgamation of historical building, ancient craft of weaving, with modern information communication technology. It preserves history, calls for tourism, and creates livelihood with cultural proliferation.

Following are some of the glimpse of the visit of the MP and the center.

	Mr. Madhavrao Scindia welcomed at the CWIRC
	Having a look at the activities going on
	The Union Minister showing keen interest in some other activity at CWIRC
	Sharing a smile with a weaver at the CWIRC centre
	Moving forward to some part of the CWIRC centre
	Right in the middle amongst the workers at CWIRC Chanderi
	Making a point
	Walking on
	Beaming at the activities going on
	Another picture of Mr. Scindia trying to understand another facet of CWIRC
	Mr. Shahid Ahmad, the CWIRC Project-in-Charge in apt attention beside Mr. Scindia
	Another snapshot from 05 Feb '10 visit of the local MP to the CWIRC
	Yet another aspect of the CWIRC being explained to the young GoI minister
	Taking the help of a white board to explain things to Mr. Scindia
	Mr. Shahid trying to make a point clearer to the Union Minister
	Moving on to to see another part of the CWIRC
	Blessing workers with an assuring hand at the computer centre of the CWIRC
	Seemingly satisfied at the IT enablement going on at CWIRC
	Garlanded at the venue
	A generation next boy trying to reach out to the minister
	Encouraging and empowering words from the Union Minister for the weavers
	Continuing to address all at the CWIRC
	And the visit to the Chanderiyaan ends

	Some foreigners checking the works going on just recently
	"This will look good on me?," the old lady seems to be asking of others
	More inspection of the site
	Everybody in the group seem to be discussing the clothes