Kundakala: Empowering women through art

Kundakala supports ethnic minority women to become professional seamstresses, aiming to improve their confidence and financial resilience.

Social Problem

Many ethnic minority women face significant barriers to social and financial independence. These challenges are exacerbated by limited access to professional training and employment opportunities, which can affect their confidence and economic resilience.

Organisation

Kundakala is dedicated to empowering ethnic minority women by providing them with the skills and support needed to become professional seamstresses. Founded in memory of the late Indian artist Kunda Kirloskar, Kundakala operates three key programs:

1. Make and Mend Programme: A six-month course offering tailoring skills and enterprise support.
2. Upcycle Projects Programme: Provides supported employment for graduates of the Make and Mend programme, encouraging the upcycling of clothes and fabrics to create new products.
3. The Kundakala Collective: Supporting graduates in starting their own micro-businesses.

Kundakala is managed by one of Kunda’s daughters, with the help of family, friends, admirers, and volunteers. All income generated is reinvested into the organisation, fostering a community of opportunity and enterprise.

Charity Bank Brighter Futures Fund Grant

A £40,000 grant from Charity Bank’s Brighter Future’s Fund will primarily fund the salary for a new full-time director role and support the delivery of Kundakala’s 2025/2026 plan. This plan includes expanding training programs and launching new sales channels to enhance the organisation’s impact.

Key Outcomes

Within the next 12 months, Kundakala aims to deliver training programs to 70 women and launch micro tailoring businesses. The charity also plans to establish an apprenticeship scheme, generate additional trading revenue, and raise more funds through repayable finance.

Impact

To date, Kundakala has supported 150 ethnic minority women, helping them gain confidence, form lasting friendships, improve mental health, and increase household income. The organisation’s efforts have created a supportive environment where women can thrive both personally and professionally.

“Before I came to the workshop, I didn’t know how to stitch at all. Now I know how to use a sewing machine and have made two scarves.“

“Kundakala is amazing it brought me back to learning again, and gave me confidence in myself”

Participants in Kundakala

“The funding from Charity Bank has given us an opportunity to consolidate our programmes and widen our reach across London. In doing so, we will be helping more ethnic minority women to save money, reduce debt, and explore an avenue of income generation via acquisition of tailoring and enterprise skills. We are also very excited to focus on creating a strategy to increase trading income, both for Kundakala, and for the women we support.”

Poormina Kirloskar-Saini, Founder & CEO of Kundakala