Life in equilibrium
Our Story - Part 1
Our Story - Part 2
WASATAN
Wasatan, previously Apres-Soleil, was the first Boon Initiative – bringing together micro-enterprise and an opportunity to provide women with home-based worked. On a personal note Après-Soleil fuses my heritage as a Mauritian-tropical-beach urchin, and my life with Kumail (in whose memory I have set up the Boon Initiatives foundation) in Pakistan. Living here with him I discovered a whole new world of awe inspiring artisanal mastery. What could be more natural than a beach and resort-wear line dedicated to the preservation of this heritage?
But Wasatan quickly developed a life of its own, branching out to create opportunities tailored to the skills of families involved in Project L-O-V-E, another Boon Initiative. What began as a beach and resort-wear line grew into a platform supporting artisans in slow fashion, homeware, small carpentry, and woodworks. We provide design, marketing, and packaging support while taking no commission, passing all earnings directly to the artisans.
Wasatan remains 100% non-profit, reinvesting profits into micro-enterprises or helping those in need through the Boon Initiatives Foundation.
Dhaga:
Dhaga is the Urdu word for thread, fibre, strand. For Kumail, “we are all nothing but strands (Dna) of strands (the one-dimensional string of String theory) of energy”.
Alone every strand is vulnerable, but woven together with others, strands weave together the fabric of communal strength, they tell the tales of richer lives, they unfold a tapestry of connections and love.
The Boon Initiatives helped fund a small shop Dhaga, where a small team of craftsmen ply their trade free of all rent and utility expenses Wasatan was set-up to provide demand for Dhaga’s services, as large commercial-brands are driving out the demand for custom-made. Dhaga is further extended by a team of home based seamstresses and craftswomen. The professional tailoring of Dhaga helps ensure the quality of the finish of our products.
Alla Ditta, a young 28 year father of 3, is currently the tailor master at Dhaga.
The Wasatan Seamstresses and Craftswomen:
One of the core values of the Boon Initiatives is to empower women with financial independence. Kumail, who lost his father at 11 and was raised by his sister—a doctor and his anchor—believed women could do anything. Extending Dhaga to support this goal was a natural step. While working with the women of Project L-O-V-E, we uncovered a talent for Sindhi Tanka, a crochet needle embroidery, sparking the creation of the Ama K Dupatta range. As the dupattas gained popularity, more women, including their daughters, joined in, mastering these skills.
We now have eight craftswomen, but behind each stands a network of women—mothers, mothers-in-law, daughters, daughters-in-law, and granddaughters. This generational involvement has transformed Ama K Dupatta into a family affair, where skills are passed down, ensuring a legacy of artisanal talent and financial independence. Each dupatta is a testament to the collective effort, empowerment, and the bonds between women across generations, creating a ripple effect of opportunity and growth.