The Rubina Pilot Project: India

Gandhi’s weapon was a spinning wheel

Gandhi’s revolution was about establishing self-sufficiency, peace, and dignity as a means to ending oppression against and creating opportunity for the poor, women, and the most vulnerable of India. And oddly enough, the spinning wheel (or charkha) was the symbol of that socio-economic freedom.

The majority of the country lived (and still lives) in rural areas (72%, according to the 2001 Census) where their main activity and source of income relied on agriculture and handicrafts. Sadly, the creation and salability of Indian-produced textiles were largely crushed by foreign imports during British rule. Gandhi believed that before people could insist on self-rule and independence from the British, they must revive the handicraft sector and reinstate a source for economic independence for the rural people. 

Present day, I’m happy to see Gandhi’s spirit and principles are still being carried out through social innovators around the world. Whether it’s through those designing energy-efficient and affordable energy, creating low-cost healthcare products and services, marketing products created by the poor, or building infrastructure and distribution models, we are finding innovative ways of merging business and doing good that is promoting self-sufficiency, peace, and dignity among the oppressed.

We still have a long way to go, but I am inspired to be conducting the Rubina Pilot Project in the same place and among descendants of the same people where Gandhi once held his revolution not so long ago.