Riches from rags: Afghan refugee women in India transform scrap fabric into dolls

Seamstresses are working with social enterprise SilaiWali to turn waste into embroidered dolls

An Afghan woman making a ragdoll outfit using traditional embroidery techniques for SilaiWali, a social enterprise in New Delhi that upcycles waste fabric and seeks to empower refugee women working there. All photos: Taniya Dutta / The National

Bishwadeep Moitra, a former journalist and graphic designer, and his wife Iris Strill, a French product designer, founded SilaiWali in India's capital in 2018

Zolaikha Kakar was a student when she fled Kabul in 2019 with her five sisters and mother. She works as a trainer at SilaiWali

Afghan refugee women at work at Silaiwali

The dolls are sold at concept stores and museum and art gallery shops in Europe, the US, South Korea, Japan and Australia

Silaiwali says each doll's creation supports sustainable livelihoods for their artisan makers

An Afghan artisan at work for Silaiwali

Most of the women working at SilaiWali belong to the persecuted Hazara community

SilaiWali has employed more than 200 Afghan refugee women since 2018

An artisan with a completed doll embroidered in traditional Afghan designs

In a room in the cramped lanes of south Delhi, Afghan refugee women sit by their sewing machines, transforming waste fabric into intricately embroidered dolls. They laugh, share banter and hum Afghan songs as their fingers crisscross the needles to create traditional patterns that reflect the rich artistry of the country they fled.

A map of Afghanistan hangs on the wall – a reminder of their homeland, which many say they may never return to following the dramatic takeover by the Taliban in 2021.

“I feel proud, this is all handmade and done by Afghan women. Our crochet and embroidery are being seen by the world,” staff trainer Zolaikha Kakar told The National.

The group works for SilaiWali, a social enterprise that converts waste fabric from fashion houses into dolls and toys while offering refugees an opportunity to build a sustainable livelihood.

Zolaikha Kakar, an Afghan refugee, works as a trainer at SilaiWali, a social enterprise in Delhi, India. Photo: Taniya Dutta / The National

SilaiWali was founded in Delhi in 2018 by Iris Strill, a French product designer, and her husband Bishwadeep Moitra, a former journalist and graphic designer. It began with 10 Afghan women and has since employed 200 over the last six years.

The enterprise has upcycled 15,500kg of scrap, converting it into more than 12,000 dolls, mascots and lucky charms for global brands including French fashion giant Chloé and Swiss watchmaker Oris. The dolls have also been sold at museum shops, concept stores and art galleries in Europe, the US, South Korea, Japan and Australia.

“Our mantra is to stitch against waste and stitch for freedom,” Mr Moitra told The National.

Afghan artisans

The idea for SilaiWali stemmed from Ms Strill’s passion for creativity and a cleaner environment. Fast fashion has left a trail of fabric waste around the world, with most of it ending up in landfills. About 100 million tonnes is produced globally each year and that figure is estimated to reach 134 million by the end of 2030, according to the US National Centre for Biotechnology Information.

India is the world’s third largest textile and apparel producer, generating an estimated one million tonnes of fabric waste a year, according to government data. More than half comes in the form of discarded clothes, while the remainder is produced during the production of the garments. The scale of the waste and its impact on the environment were a major motivator for the entrepreneurial couple.

“The fashion industry is crazily creating new clothes every three months and we don’t know what the purpose is. The clothes manufacturers get extra fabric, a lot of which gets cancelled due to print or colour, and they waste thousands of metres,” Ms Strill said.

Finding a purpose for the waste is challenging because much of it is small cuts, while garments usually require large pieces, she added. “I was looking for something that had a special story and suddenly thought of dolls. In every family, someone has made a doll with some fabric.”

An Afghan woman works as a large map of Afghanistan hangs on a wall behind her. Photo: Taniya Dutta / The National

SilaiWali started with the crafting of an initial five dolls. “When I thought about making these dolls, I thought people would not take us seriously, but when we displayed them for the first time, we got many clients,” Ms Strill said. “They were touched because these were made by refugees. People like the dolls on their book shelves and many men buy them as decorative pieces.”

Ms Strill first came to India in 1999 and dreamt up the idea for SilaiWali after taking an assignment with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Delhi. She found herself impressed by the refugees she encountered and their determination to succeed.

“They had an opinion and were not shy. I loved the way they were. When we decided to get this project started, we got in touch with them,” Ms Strill said.

Most of the women at SilaiWali are from the persecuted Hazara community. Mr Moitra said they were not professional artisans but their embroidery and crochet skills had been passed down through families.

“For the Hazara community, it is a heritage that has passed from one generation to another. This work was not a livelihood. They may have made wedding dresses, but they never used this skill to earn a living,” Mr Moitra said. “We chose them because Delhi doesn’t have these artisans and we identified this ready-made community. We decided to empower the women so that their skill reaches the international market.”

Iris Strill, 47, a product designer, co-founded SilaiWali in 2018. Photo: Taniya Dutta / The National

Finding a footing in India

For the refugees, SilaiWali has opened doors to a new world. Anisa Rehmani, 26, a teacher from the Hazara community, fled Kabul after the Taliban’s takeover and scrapping of Afghanistan's constitution, which had guaranteed equal rights for women. The changes in her country meant she could no longer work. She fled to Delhi – a major base for Afghan refugees since 1970 – along with her parents, sister and two brothers. But in India, they faced new challenges over their legal status and finding work.

India is not a party to the United Nations Refugee Convention, meaning refugees and asylum seekers do not have the legal right to employment in the country. They often find unofficial jobs in informal sectors and live in poor conditions.

“The security situation was not good [in Afghanistan] … We had to run. I was scared and confused, especially about my education and my future. We needed money. It was hard, but now I feel relaxed,” Ms Rehmani said.

Anisa Rehmani, 26, was a teacher from the Hazara community who fled Kabul after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. Photo: Taniya Dutta / The National

For Ms Kakar, who also works as SilaiWali's product lead, the job has been life changing. She was a student when she fled Kabul in 2019 with her mother and five sisters.

“My life was difficult there as women were not allowed to pursue education or go out of the home,” she said. “I feel lucky. I now have freedom, which is the most important thing.

“I have a job, my sisters are going to school … I realise that if I were in Afghanistan, I would not have this life.”