This week as we all dive head first into the new years resolutions and making a difference in our lives The Welcome Mat would like to highlight Asha Handicrafts, a fair trade company making a difference in the lives of many artisans in India. By investing in products made with a wide variety of materials, Asha Handicrafts is able to harness a broad spectrum of giftedness in India, and in particular has supported work opportunities for women and education.
Since 1975, this innovative company has been giving marketing support to different groups of small producers and craftsman cooperatives in order to aid small scale producers. It houses two separate divisions, one overseeing trade, and the other overseeing welfare programs including training activities and producer development. Asha pays for products in advance, and orders from the artisans directly so as to minimize debt accumulation on behalf of the artisans. And by providing training and teaching facilities, Asha is able to empower more and more artisans, continuing the positive effect in the community, as well as the diversity of their products.
Since 1975, this innovative company has been giving marketing support to different groups of small producers and craftsman cooperatives in order to aid small scale producers. It houses two separate divisions, one overseeing trade, and the other overseeing welfare programs including training activities and producer development. Asha pays for products in advance, and orders from the artisans directly so as to minimize debt accumulation on behalf of the artisans. And by providing training and teaching facilities, Asha is able to empower more and more artisans, continuing the positive effect in the community, as well as the diversity of their products.
Asha artisans work in wood, metal, cloth, bone, stone, ceramics, and paper mache and produces products of other kinds such as incense and chutney. Jewelry, musical instruments, food products; Asha helps develop and sell such a wide variety of things that it is hard to imagine there not being something for everyone. By developing in different parts of India, Asha is able to support pieces that have been produced by those local people for centuries. Such as the leather work of Rajasthan or Beads from the Indus Valley Civilization or as we've spoken of before in this blog, the block printing of Jaipur.
On their website, Asha Handicrafts introduces you to a few of the artisans whose handiwork they employ. While each group employs many artisans and workers who create the beautiful pieces unique to their local cultures, one group in particular embodies the fair trade spirit through its equal opportunity endeavors. The Women's India Trust (WIT) is a non-governmental self-help organization for the women of India. WIT helps to educate and train women so they can gain employment in several fields such as nursing, screen printing, and even catering and food processing. They can also receive training as teachers for Balwadi, an education program for children providing them with a good foundation for further education when they get older. At any time there is at least 100 students in Balwadi schooling.
On their website, Asha Handicrafts introduces you to a few of the artisans whose handiwork they employ. While each group employs many artisans and workers who create the beautiful pieces unique to their local cultures, one group in particular embodies the fair trade spirit through its equal opportunity endeavors. The Women's India Trust (WIT) is a non-governmental self-help organization for the women of India. WIT helps to educate and train women so they can gain employment in several fields such as nursing, screen printing, and even catering and food processing. They can also receive training as teachers for Balwadi, an education program for children providing them with a good foundation for further education when they get older. At any time there is at least 100 students in Balwadi schooling.
Asha Handicrafts does more than just buy products at fair prices. They empower small scale artisans of India to compete in the mainstream global economy, and continue to make further progress in the developing the equality of and equal opportunity for women, as well as the development of education. It is companies like this that is continuing to make fair trade a beneficial movement for global society.
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