"The word khadi refers to a cloth, usually cotton, both spun and hand-woven at home."
Following the wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi, our philosophy goes beyond the fabric itself. The Khadi movement promoted self-employment and self-reliance for rural communities in India, reducing their dependence on the textile industry in Britain.
“It is not enough to say that hand spinning is one of the industries that must be revived. It is necessary to insist that it is the central industry, which should attract our attention if we want to restore rural life”.
- Mahatma Gandhi
Spinning and weaving allow us to connect with the feeling of independence. It is a very noble way to contribute to a better distribution of resources.
The creation of a thread standard provides important supplemental income and the potential for unlimited employment. Local carpenters reproduce the honorable spinning wheel brought from India; the symbol of dharma in motion.
To further understand our philosophy please see: → A little bit of Gandhi in Oaxaca.
Being the change one wishes to see in the world is a difficult task, but not impossible. We can all take steps towards that goal. Many times, a light is needed to guide us, like the great souls of Mahatma Gandhi or a humble villager, and show us the way. Most of us, unfortunately, are immersed in an unbalanced and very unsustainable world. One way we can be this change is through the things we consume. The choice is ours, every decision we make, whether small or large, may be the change we want to see.
Our history
It all started in 1974, when Marcos (Mark Brown), 14, came to San Sebastián Rio Hondo in search of magic. He was brought here by Donaciano López, the great-grandfather of Eliseo Ramírez (one of Khadi Oaxaca’s initial artisans). Marcos remained in the village for several years before deciding to travel to India.
He spent many years in India, living in the Gandhi ashram for two years (1986-88). This is where he learned about khadi, the movement started by Mahatma Gandhi.
At the ashram, Marcos learned to spin and weave and began to wear only clothes made from his own thread and cloth. He began to live the Khadi movement!
Back in Oaxaca in the 90s, Marcos brought a spinning wheel designed by Gandhi to San Sebastián Rio Hondo and began teaching his village family (the Ramírez family) how to spin cotton with this wooden spinning wheel. There is an ancient tradition in the village of spinning and weaving wool, so it was not difficult for people to learn.
In 2010, Marcos and his wife, Kalindi Attar, began to implement what is now known as Khadi Oaxaca. It started with Eliseo Ramírez Martínez and his wife Felipa Ramírez Vargas, pioneers of the project, through a coyuchi cotton spinning workshop with more than 30 women from the town. Once they had enough thread, their good friend Remigio Mestas began to convert that thread into exquisite traditional huipiles. Remigio's wonderful work inspired them to keep going.
In 2012, they learned to weave and began producing not only thread, but also fabric in various widths. “It was very intense to learn the technique of pedal loom weaving, as we only had experience with the back-strap loom” recalls Eliseo, “This would not have been possible without the support of our teachers Roberto Jiménez and Fernando Jiménez in Oaxaca.” Later, they learned to work with plant-based dyes. In 2014, Kalindi, Dominga Ramirez Ruiz and her daughter Gemma Garcia Ramirez began designing garments with Khadi fabrics embroidered and hand stitched by the women of San Sebastián Rio Hondo. The Khadi Oaxaca project received its first public recognition in October 2014 with an exhibition at the Oaxaca Textile Museum.
Today, there are more than 650 artisans in and around San Sebastián Río Hondo who work with Khadi Oaxaca and a team of twelve people who manage the project locally.
The current role of our principal founders
Marcos is the visionary and principal founder of Khadi Oaxaca, together with his wife Kalindi Attar and the local artisans, Eliseo Valeriano Ramirez Martinez and his wife Felipa Ramirez Vargas.
All the time, energy and ideas, for many years, have been freely given by Marcos and Kalindi, who have also spearheaded the fundraising efforts. They have never received and never will receive salaries nor dividends. The contributions of Marcos and Kalindi have been totally voluntary. Now, Marcos and Kalindi have a guiding role in the organization, providing wise business advice and keeping watch over the spiritual life of the company.