Wellpaper is a model for social enterprise development.
Since Tsunami 2004 WELL touched the lives of over 100 women from the villages around. Many of these women achieved capacity of teaching skill and enterprise development.

 
The primary goal of WELL is to empower local village women with skills to build, manage and maintain self-sustaining units. The women receive training, guidance and support in product development, market and team management, and personal development.

 

WELL Products

All Wellpaper products are hand-made and eco-friendly, transforming recycled newspaper into art and accessories. From baskets, bowls and coasters to jewelry, X' mas ornaments, and colorful Paper Mache figures, there is SO much to choose from.

 

Social Vision

WELL strongly believes in and advocates women's empowerment. Over time, the women’s’ groups have developed into autonomous units, making their own business decisions towards their goal of financial independence. Today, some of the WELL women are conducting the training workshops themselves to reach other local women and small business units.

 

"Quality production is our flag!"- Wellpaper products go through several quality checks during and after the production phase. In doing so, WELL can always guarantee quality, handmade products to its supporters.

 

When you purchase Wellpaper products, you support an environmentally aware project and provide direct livelihood to the WELL women, positively impacting their lives and the lives

 

"Handmade with love! -The WELL social project follows "green practices" in all its operations, including a "no-machinery" policy... though when the WELL women introduced a local idli grinding machine for making the paper pulp, we embraced the meeting of tradition and enterprise.

 

"Keeping it Local!"- We use locally-available raw materials, from the primary material, recycled newspaper, to the glue and natural colors, so providing local livelihood, minimizing transport costs.

 

"Zero Waste Policy!"- Wellpaper's 'no- waste' focus has inspired many creative, colorful, new designs whereby every scrap of raw material is used, upcycling the final shreds into paper pulp accessories.

 

WELL SHARE WORKSHOPS

Skills Handicraft Arts Recycle Education

You are invited for a 3 hour introductory workshop to create art and products from waste (mainly recycled newspaper). 

 

The following are the techniques we share: 

1. Baskets Weaving Introductory workshop -

Our experienced Wellpaper ladies will teach you how to create the newspaper sticks that are made from rolled up newspaper that serve as reeds for the baskets. You will be instructed and supported during the process. By the end of the workshop you will have made your own basket.  You will make the coloring of the final product on your own since its needs time to dry.

2. Bowls Coiling introductory workshop-

The WELL Women will introduce how to create beautiful bowls, containers or accessories made of flattened and coiled newspaper sticks. Most likely you will end up with more than one item.

 

3. Paper Mache Introductory workshop-

In this workshop you will learn the making and usage of colored paper pulp. You will be guided through the process of cutting and shaping a serving bowl from a waste card board on which you will apply the pulp in your own design. We will show you how to manipulate and smooth the pulp in to the shape of a bowl. Depending on the weather it usually takes an average of two days for the bowel to dry.

 

The workshops are instructed by WELL women from the villages around Auroville. These women are very well practiced. These women have teaching experience in and out of Auroville.

Wellpaper is conducting also art workshops which are still not scheduled. Please email us for further information.

 

For more information please contact us:

Phone: +91-0413-2622219

Email: wellpaper@auroville.org.in

Web: www.wellpaper.org

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