India: Manipur Dental Surgeon Uses Crochet to Support Youth and Families

In Senapati, a hill district in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, a young dental surgeon is using crochet work to support unemployed youth and school dropouts through skill training and handmade art.

Athon Michelle, a healthcare professional and self-taught crochet artist, began learning crochet during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During the pandemic, I was going through a restless season and needed something quiet for my hands,” Michelle said. “The first time I made a crochet bunny, it felt like real magic. From that moment, it boosted my love for crochet.”

What started as a personal hobby gradually developed into a small community initiative. Michelle now conducts part-time crochet classes for young people in her area, teaching them skills that can generate income and build confidence.

Her interest in making yarn dolls began after creating one for her niece.

“One day I tried making a tiny doll for my niece, and seeing her face brighten up inspired me a lot,” she said. “It became my passion.”

Michelle said she learned the craft mainly through “trial and error” and spent long hours practicing on her own.

She believes her creativity is closely connected to faith.

“Believing my talent is God-given takes the pressure off,” she said. “I don’t have to be the best crocheter. I just have to be faithful with the gift I was given.”

Her crochet dolls are designed individually, often with specific people in mind.

“I never make two dolls with the same face,” she explained. “I think about who might need them, a lonely friend, a child in a hospital, someone going through a difficult time.”

One experience during the pandemic had a lasting impact on her work. A healthcare worker in Faridabad, an industrial city near New Delhi in northern India, asked Michelle to create a doll resembling her in a nurse’s uniform because she had to stay away from her daughter while working.

“Later she told me her daughter slept with the doll and whispered, ‘Mama’s here,’” Michelle recalled. “That was when I realized these dolls could carry love across empty rooms.”

Michelle said the work has also come with challenges, including physical strain from long hours of crocheting and pressure to complete orders on time.

“Hand pain was real,” she said. “But I remind myself that each doll carries comfort to someone.”

Looking ahead, Michelle hopes to organize workshops for young people and women recovering from trauma.

“In a fast digital world, handmade things slow us down,” she said. “They carry time, care, and human touch.”