Are you thinking of trashing worn-out household appliances, books, clothes, shoes or musical instruments that do not work? Tarry a moment, there!
Instead of adding to the pile of garbage accumulated globally, you can bring your things straight to The Repair Café at the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan (MMB) Kolkata, on Park Street, on June 25 to learn the art of repairing and reusing them straight from master craftsmen.
Started and managed by MMB volunteers and director Astrid Wege, the first session of this initiative held last month saw around 40 individuals, including students who brought their parents.
The second session, to be held this month on the MMB premises, has already got more registrations pouring in from all corners of the city. MMB intends to continue this initiative with one session a month till November 2022.
Set up in collaboration with the anstiftung Foundation, The Repair Café not only gives old items a second lease of life, but also creates a unique community space for networking, exchange of ideas and hobbies, promotion of sustainability, encouraging the culture of repairing over a hot brew.
“Goethe-Institut has initiated a global drive on ‘sustainability’, one of the most important themes to be addressed these days. As an active cultural institution, we can reach many people from all walks of life and provide a platform for them to share knowledge and talk about sustainability. It also encourages and motivates people towards a sustainable lifestyle,” MMB programme officer Sharmistha Sarker told My Kolkata on Friday.
“The Repair Café is the first of its kind in Kolkata. Repair culture is prevalent in our lives. It’s time we start ‘repairing’ our prized belongings rather than go for the easiest option — ‘replacing them’. We hope to facilitate more people to start their own repair cafes in the city,” she said.
The café will stay open for everyone from 4pm to 8pm on Saturday.
