We need your help

Imagine, the reason we started painting walls seven years ago was a request from India to paint a building in the middle of the red light district. Many things have changed, but one thing remains: the conviction that beauty and relationships are elementary for human beings, especially in extreme situations. Creating images creates hope, strengthens, and helps to process traumas. At the same time, a place of safety is elementary and creates relationships.

After seven years, our dream of painting a building together with women and children who are exposed to the violence of human trafficking daily seems to be within reach, and for this, we need your HELP!!!

For what exactly

Love Calcutta Arts (LCA) is a small local business that produces and markets beautiful hand-embroidered blankets to provide a safe and legal source of income for people in difficult living situations. Priya and Sapna, two extraordinary women run the work and have been able to create jobs for 40+ women and two men over the past years. LCA is in the middle of the Ram Bagan in Kolkata, India.

Over the last three years, orders for blankets have plummeted due to the economic situation around the world. In addition, LCA's building is in urgent need of renovation due to heavy weather conditions. Part of the building has already been renovated using their savings, which has allowed the women to continue working. However, the majority of the building is still a construction site and urgently needs to be finished.

The small Freedom Business, which is also a refuge for many women in the community, is facing incredible challenges. Many of you have supported us financially over the past years so that we could create hope through art in this community together with the women and already helped the LCA survive the beginning of the pandemic period.

Now, together with you, we would like to finish renovating this building and paint the outside facade with a picture of hope, so LCA may continue to be a safe place, a beacon for many women and children.

43% - Building Renovation Costs:  18’600 CHF/USD
Electricity Wiring: 2200 CHF
Painting interior: 3200 CHF
Windows / Doors: 4300 CHF
Plaster finishing and flooring: 5300 CHF
Main drain alignment, main sewerage line, pipes changing: 1400 CHF
Rooftop floor, room: 2200 CHF

14% - Image of hope, outdoor wall facade: 6’000 CHF/USD
Scaffolding 4’000 CHF
Colors and Material 1’500 CHF
Details and Celebration 500 CHF

18% - Honorary local artists: 7’800 CHF/USD
Crowdfunding Film: 800 CHF
Filmmaker (Film for publicizing the work of LCA): 5’000 CHF
Local Illustration artist: 2’000 CHF

25% - Accommodation/Travel Expenses/Visa Cup of Color Team: 10’600 CHF/USD
Visa: 900 CHF
Flight ticket 3 adults 3 children: 6’700 CHF
Accommodation for 1.5 months: 3’000 CHF

Total: 43’000 CHF/USD

REWARDS

Dreamweaver: DONATE THE AMOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE
For people who want to support us unconditionally, thanks!

Smile Maker: 50 CHF/USD
Support us between 50 and 99 CHF, we will send you a personal postcard.

Hope Planter: 100 CHF/USD
Support us between 100 and 199 CHF, we will invite you to a video conference on 30th NOV live from Kolkata, to get to know Priya and the women of LCA, to see our work + a personal postcard.

Joy Maker: 200 CHF/USD
Support us with CHF 200, you will receive an invitation to a storytelling event in 2024 + an invitation to a video conference + a personal postcard.

Freedom Maker: 500 CHF/USD
Support us with 500 CHF, we will give you a small handmade surprise from India + an invitation to a storytelling event in 2024 + an invitation to a video conference + a personal postcard.

Dreamweaver Pro: 1000 CHF/USD
Support us with 1000 CHF, you will get an A4 quality photo of the wall by Indian photographer: Shivam Pandey + an invitation to a storytelling event 2024 + invitation to a video conference + a personal postcard.

Lighthouse Builder: 3000 CHF/USD +
Support us with 3000 CHF, you will get an A4-A3 photo of the wall printed on metal by the Indian photographer: Shivam Pandey + an invitation to a storytelling event 2024 + an invitation to the video conference + a personal postcard.

With a Chai of Hope, you not only give LCA a chance, but you also give yourself a moment of joy and the opportunity to become part of something greater than all of us. We can't do it without you. We need each other to make history.

By the 25th October, we want to raise 43’000 Swiss Francs / USD to renovate the building and paint a huge mural on the outside wall together with the women of LCA. If we can raise more than 43’000 Swiss Francs / USD, we can invest in other projects with LCA and similar works, who are empowering women and kids.

How long will the campaign last?

The crowdfunding campaign will last until 25 Oct 2023, and we will send you the gifts and postcards in early January 2024. Around November 1 to December 10, we will be in India, painting the exterior wall of LCA together. We will keep you up to date about the situation on-site and what we could make possible with your donations in our online magazine and on our Instagram page.

CHAI OF HOPE II: WEAVING A DREAM TOGETHER

Project Team

Cup of Color is made up of various artists and creative people. We strengthen people in hopeless situations by creating wall murals. We believe every person longs for beauty, pictures and stories which, speak to their hearts and touch their souls. Since 2016 we have been working on projects in the neighbourhood and have built up strong ties with Priya, the leader of LCA.