What is Once Upon A Doug?

Cotton farming in India has been getting harder and harder with each passing year.

With the introduction of Genetically Modified (GM) seeds, pesticides and fertilisers, many Indian farmers find themselves taking out high-interest loans in order to pay for these chemicals in the hope of producing an increased yield.

Regardless of the GM seeds, and chemicals purchased, each season’s yield depends heavily on weather conditions; if there is a drought or a poor monsoon, this can leave farmers unable to pay their loans and can literally be the difference between life and death.

In the past 15 years, over 300,000 farmers have committed suicide in India in a desperate attempt to rid themselves of loans and leave behind a sustainable life for their family. Unfortunately, loans are merely shifted over to the farmers’ wives and children and this vicious circle continues through generations.

This is where our CSR project, Once Upon A Doug, steps in!

A ‘Doug’ is a fashion accessory in the shape of a cloud, each Doug is hand-stitched by Cotton Farming women in India using recycled fabric. Each Doug is a symbol of the women’s struggles and strengths; their hopes and freedoms. Their symbol of empowerment. Doug is their silver lining.

Each Doug provides the women with a steady and guaranteed source of income in addition to the unreliable and insufficient income they make through cotton farming.

Each of the women are provided with free training and free raw materials and make each Doug in their spare time, they are paid for every Doug they make and 100% of the money produced goes back to the community for supporting local projects.

Keep up to date by following Pave as we travel to India for the fourth year in a row to meet our beneficiaries.

Want to know more? Read about Once Upon A Doug here.