Hope is what keeps you alive and kicking in troubled times.

As Manipur is picking up the pieces after four months of ethnic violence, an organisation has come up with an idea for sustainable livelihood for the internally displaced people staying in makeshift relief camps.Since May 3, the ethnic strife between Kukis and Meiteis has left 175 dead and at least 1,108 wounded.More than 4,700 houses have been burned, rendering thousands of people homeless.The Khangabok relief camp in Thoubal district houses 210 people.

It is one of the five relief camps across Manipur where the violence-hit people, especially the women, are learning how to make amigurumi dolls.

Amigurumi is a Japanese craft of crocheting small, stuffed dolls.Behind this project is ‘1 million Heros’, a global, multi-platform entertainment brand, dedicated to inspire and instil confidence in a generation of children around the world.Photo: DIPR, Manipur governmentMother of three children, Laishram Geeta Leima, 36, is one of the trainees pinning her hope on crocheting for short-term livelihood of her family.

She had fled her village in Sugnu Awang Leikai in Kakching district when it was attacked by armed miscreants on May 27.

“As we’re here at this relief camp, we’ve no means of livelihood.

Problem is compounded with having to look after my kids.

During these dark times, ‘1-Million Hero’ came to train us to crochet amigurumi dolls as a livelihood alternative for us.

I’ve almost mastered it.

We’re very happy we’ve acquired these new skills.

We’re told they are chalking out ways to get us revenue out of these dolls,” says Geeta.Since the first week of August, the organisation has been visiting relief camps and training those who are interested in learning the craft.

It provides them with detailed templates, tools and raw materials.

Agom Sangeeta Leima (48), another resident from Sugnu whose village was attacked on May 28, says the training has boosted her confidence by showing her a way to overcome financial challenges.

‘I’m participating in this training programme hoping to earn some income.

I think learning this skill is beneficial,” she adds.The target is to train groups in five relief camps with each camp specializing in each of the five characters, conceived as the first line of the global amigurumi doll brand.

The characters include – Buddy (pet dog), Mitten (cat), Raja (tiger), Oliver (bear) and Bola (the Buddy), according to a release by the directorate of information and public relations (DIPR), Manipur government.

Photo: DIPR, Manipur governmentDoll artist and master trainer, Utpala Longjam claims that the program was going on pretty well.

“Crochet is not very difficult if you know the basics.

Most of them [trainees] knew the basics.

All we’d to do was teach them the pattern and the right way to go about it.

They’re picking it up pretty well.

Once they become comfortable with the needle, the crochet and the patterns, we would be providing them with the cotton yarns for the actual product,” she says.Other than the economic aspects, the training is also aimed at improving the mental health of the victims of violence who have lost heart and home as well as near and dear ones.

Monish Karam, the founder of 1 Million Heroes, explains the genesis of the project.“I was living in Singapore when the violence started in May.

We wanted to do something for the people back home to help rebuild their lives.

We were brainstorming what to do.

We wanted to do something very sustainable.

“Our women are quite good in handicraft and handlooms.

And that is something we wanted to take leverage of.

We realised that we can create something creative.

Then the idea of dolls came and eventually narrowed down to crochet dolls.

And these dolls are not mere dolls.

We believe they are the symbol of hope and vessels of storytelling,” Monish says.While all complexity in the entire process of production is taken care of by the organisation, the trainees only have to create the dolls and supply to ‘1 Million Heroes’ for sales.

Most proceeds will go to the dollmakers.Besides 1 Million Heroes, several private enterprises are conducting livelihood activities training at the relief camps.

The Manipur State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MSRLM) under the state government has also organised different training programmes, such as making of incense sticks, disinfectant like phenyl, detergent, liquid dishwash, paper bags among others.