| Home | Blog | Artisans | Products | Where We’ll Be | Wholesale | Contact |
ArtisansBolivia | Cambodia | Nepal | Nicaragua | Rwanda | Thailand
Bolivia
Ayni Bolivia developed and produces 3 Bags Full Finger Puppet Pouches, coordinating over 30 artisans to complete the sets for export to Canada. Several groups do this work: The knitters gather together while they knit puppets and mind their children. A husband and wife team make the knit carrying bags; and scenes are hand painted on each bag at Ayni Bolivia’s workshop. Sue Berlove met both groups and began working with them in 2004, after her first trip to Bolivia. The focus of this trading relationship is to improve the lives of indigenous families by importing their crafts.
Cambodia
Sor Sokhorn is a single mother living with HIV since 2000 when she was 42. She works in her own home-based sewing operation with help from some of her eldest children. Her creations of beautiful grass reed purses, pouches and bags reflect the use of natural materials indigenous to Cambodia. Diane Strong has been traveling and living in Southeast Asia since 2005. Her business, CambodhiSilks, supports the above two groups in Cambodia.
Nepal
Hailing from the farmer's community, Chiri was raised under difficult conditions. Her family's land was repossessed by the government, followed by the death of her father. Being denied an education as a child because she is female, Chiri, was left financially responsible for herself, her mother, and her two children. Using her inherited skill in felting Chiri stated making beautiful baby felt items for Hamro Village. This has helped her become financially capable and she is able to send her children to school.
Nicaragua
The El Timal co-operative makes recycled potato chip bag purses and bracelets. This gives them the opportunity to support themselves and their families while working at home. This project has been a success and the women are slowly gaining confidence in their work and their ability to be their own bosses, something which most of them had never done previously. In 2009, Esperanza en Accion began providing loans to artisans to invest in their small businesses. These loans are used for improving artisans' working conditions as we believe that this investment will also help them to improve their living conditions. The revolving loan fund empowers artisans to become financially responsible by allowing artisans to be the decision makers about their loans. Guadalupe Nororis borrowed $62 to build two kilns for firing her ceramic which has allowed her to flourish and improve the stability of her small business. Cathy Finlay has been involved with fair trade since the 80’s. Her company, Casa Nicnac works with Esperanza en Accion and approximately 25 different Nicaraguan artisan groups who are living in poverty and have few resources to be able to make a living. Our partnerships are now empowering more than 1,000 people to develop their small businesses or make contacts with buyers outside of the country. Contact Casa Nicnac at www.casanicnac.ca.
Rwanda
Driven by the desire to make a difference,”THE THOUSAND HILLS”provide its Rwandan artisans with the opportunity to reach the market as well as creating more jobs for the artisans,hope of living to the genocide survivors and economic empowerment. Paying them a fair wage and providing them with skills.
Thailand
In the 1970's Thailand's Royal Family initiated a project in the Golden Triangle region, to provide alternative sources of income to the hill tribes in this area based on their traditional arts. Due to Karen's history of working with silver, silver experts were sent to help them become master silversmiths. The Karen people continue to live in their communities, maintaining their traditional way of life. Their children attend a village school where they learn to speak Thai, while their families continue to work and live, freely speaking their local dialect. Your purchase of fairly traded jewellery helps provide a sustainable livelihood for the Karen artisans, and enables them to support themselves, their families and communities. |
Artesania Sorata specializes in alpaca—creating hats, mittens and scarves as well as one of kind wall hangings. The wool and fabrics are dyed in a workshop and the artisans produce the hand made products in their homes. They take their finished work to the workshop where items are prepared for sale in their local store and for export.
Ta Prohm is a small group of 12 people living and working communally in Phnom Penh who are members of the Artisans Association of Cambodia, an internationally certified fair trade organization. Kong is the creator of Ta Prohm, a landmine survivor and the designer of the group's unique silk purses and wallets.
Hamro Village helps its artisans access basic needs for their livelihood that may not otherwise be available. We favour indigenous, under privileged artisans and producers and treat them in a fair and equitable manner. Our model is centred around the economic empowerment of under privileged women with children in rural Nepal. In providing them with work, paying them a fair wage and treating them with dignity, we are making a huge difference in their lives, the lives of their children and society at large. Many of our artisans have similar stories. 
In Nicaragua most artisans work cooperatively within their families and each member has a unique part in the process. One such co-operative is Ducuale Grande, located in a rural community. It is made up of 11 women who are proud to own their own business. The artwork that they make is utilitarian and made up of natural clay, without any chemicals.
Twitezimbere is a group of talented artists composed of genocide survivors who are changing their lives by investing all their time in hand woven décor products using weaving materials available in Rwanda such as sisal, papyrus and banana fiber. Their products include gracefully patterned hand woven baskets, jewelry and African cotton shopping bags.
All of our Sterling silver jewellery is hand-crafted by the Karen Hill tribe people of Northern Thailand, and assembled in Canada. The Karen artisans are paid a fair price for their products and work in safe working conditions.