Silence - India -Fair Trade Organization of Deaf and Mute Artists

Silence was conceived in 1979 when a small group of deaf and mute artists with creative skills founded the organization to help downtrodden and disabled artisans in their community. With much effort and support, Silence was registered as a non-governmental organization. The artists at Silence began by creating hand-painted greeting cards which continue to be one of the most popular items among Silence's product range.

Silence began by selling these hand-painted cards at various local exhibitions, fairs, and get-togethers. In 1995, Silence became a member of IFAT (International Federation for Alternative Trade) and was introduced into the international fair trade market. This was a gateway for the organization to explore new products, skills, and techniques for its artisans.  

  In the past 17 years, Silence products have been well-received in the fair trade export market. Apart from hand-painted cards, Silence is known to create several handmade products such as decorative candles, incense sticks, woodcraft items, jewelry, and paper maché ornaments.

.  A three-story building located in a bustling part of South Kolkata is Silence's training center. Each year Silence trains about 30 students with various disabilities in areas such as commercial art, painting/craft, and computer knowledge. These students are provided free training for 6 months to a year and, with these qualifications, the students either step out into the world of opportunities or become part of the Silence production team.