Artisan Relief During Coronavirus
Donation protected
INDIA IS IN ABSOLUTE CRISIS. THE SITUATION IS TRULY DIRE, FAR WORSE THAN 1 YEAR AGO WHEN WE LAUNCHED THIS FUNDRAISER. WE NEED TO STEP UP AGAIN AND SUPPORT THOSE HOLDING UP THEIR COMMUNITIES.
PLEASE DONATE AND CONTINUE TO SHOP ARTISAN PRODUCTS!
Help Support Fair Trade Producer Groups in India & Nepal
Over the course of my career in Fair Trade product development and production management I have had the honor and the privilege to work with tremendous organizations in India and Nepal. These Fair Trade organizations provide gainful employment, social services, and support to those in need most. They are all stepping up right now to ensure the health, safety, and well being of their members during the pandemic by providing work from home when possible, continued pay, food assistance, and other types of support. They are expanding their services outside of their organizations, launching hospitals, increasing capacity of their health programs. But with production completely halted they cannot maintain this critical support indefinitely.
Help us ensure that these organizations can continue to support their artisans while production is stopped.
I've included a profile and some status updates from each of the organizations we are supporting through this fundraiser. Updates will be posted here on where things stand at each group.
I am personally organizing this fundraiser. The funds raised will be divided among the organizations and sent via electronic funds transfer. 100% of the funds donated will be sent directly to the groups and all transfer fees are covered. What we raise is exactly what they will receive.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Here are what my friends & colleagues are saying about the situation their organizations face:
“We’re quickly assessing the scenario, seeing what we can do to comfort members. The situation is volatile and unpredictable. This time is worse than the earthquake. Our retail season has been so bad. Wondering how to pay producers.”
Sunil Chitrakar, Ph. D.
CEO
Mahaguthi - Kathmandu, Nepal
"Help us ensure they get back stronger. Help us keep them safe and sound in these difficult times. Help us support their families. Help us protect their art and tradition. Your help matters, however small, it should come from your heart.”
Nivedita Rai
Executive Director, Gudi Mudi Khadi Initiative
WomenWeave Charitable Trust - Maheshwar, India
"If the lock down is lifted soon… then we will manage… but if it is extended… we will struggle to pay the women regularly."
Johny Joseph
Director
Creative Handicrafts - Mumbai, India
“Our orders are decreasing. The next few months will be extremely difficult.”
Moon Sharma
CEO
Tara Projects - Delhi, India
Organization Profiles
Creative Handicrafts - Mumbai, India
-Empowering Women, Changing Lives-
The slums of Mumbai, India, are filled with people locked in a daily struggle to survive. Creative Handicrafts is an independent, non-religious, non-profit, co-operative born out of a desire to fight back and empower women and their families to live a better life.
At the co-operative, women learn marketable skills and join a supportive community. This helps them break free from a cycle that keeps them in poverty. Their financial situation improves and they are able to educate their families and insure their health. Supporting programs are funded by the co-operative and external donors. Among the many benefits offered are: Education Sponsorship, Training Sponsorship, Childcare, Health Insurance, Capacity Building, Savings, & Credit Program. See a video of Creative's journey below.
https://creativehandicrafts.org/
Taylor has known them since: 2012
Mahaguthi - Kathmandu, Nepal
-Craft with Conscience-
Mahaguthi Craft with Conscience is a not for profit, WFTO Guaranteed Fair Trade Organization which produces, markets and exports Nepal’s crafts. Mahaguthi serves both domestic as well as international markets and has two shops based in the Kathmandu Valley. Our organization represents the efforts of more than one thousand individual producers, fifty percent of whom are from remote and mountainous areas. Most of our producers are women who are given the chance to employ traditional skills in their own homes, thus enabling them to generate extra income. Your each purchase from Mahaguthi directly helps the people involved in every step of the supply chain as 68% of the sales go back to the artisans of the products.
https://mahaguthi.com.np/
Taylor has known them since: 2012
Sadhna & their parent organization Seva Mandir - Udaipur, India
Sadhna was established in 1988 to provide alternative incomes for women in Udaipur’s rural, tribal, and urban slum belts. As these communities were not dependent on agriculture, handicraft was chosen to be introduced to them. Sadhna taught patchwork, appliqué, and tanka embroidery skills to the women for them to earn a secure living. Today, Sadhna provides continuous training to women artisans to improve their skills, a support network to them in their villages, and a respectable position in their family and society.
https://www.sadhna.org/
Taylor has known them since: 2012
TARA Projects - Delhi, India
TARA’s mission is to practice fairness in its production and trading activities for the development of the grassroots and the other marginalized sections of society, using capacity building towards continuously improving its performance while ensuring social equity and environmental sustainability. The Organization is committed to follow the Fair Trade Standards developed by The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO).
http://taraprojects.com/
Taylor has known them since: 2012
Karghewale - Maheshwar, India
Karghewale works with 150 young weaver entrepreneurs, most of whom are graduates of WomenWeave’s The Handloom School, across thirteen states in India. Their mission is to support the creators of their textiles, a talented community of young and aspiring weaving professionals , so that they can build robust businesses. They believe that weavers are equal partners in the business, not mere wage workers who will weave the said design and be paid per meter. This gives them the leverage to circumvent the age-old impediments of commission agents in the value chain, and reach out to national and international markets directly.
https://www.karghewale.com/
Taylor has known them since 2021
WomenWeave - Maheshwar, India
-Sustainable luxury from the heart and soul of India-
Organization that produces fabric for Taylor Tall. Through the Gudi Mudi Khadi Project, WomenWeave links organic and non-organic cotton farmers of Central India with formerly unemployed local women of Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh to create unique, contemporary hand spun and hand-woven textiles. Their Handloom School is designed to identify and nurture the talent of young weavers from across India. Below is an excellent video illustrating how this organization supports rural artisans and the hand loom craft.
https://www.womenweave.org/
Taylor has known them since: 2018
Cocccon Crafts and Loom - Jharkhand, INDIA
Project Cocccon is a modern form of rural cooperation. It has decentralized production, which allows the silk farmers, spinners, weavers etc. to work directly from their own areas. All these different units are well connected with centralised headquarters. The storage of cocoons, yarns and ready textiles situated at the headquarters. Fairly paid and highly skilled artisans at Cocccon have created wonders with production of luxurious cruelty free silk.
https://cocccon-crafts-loom.com/
WORK+SHELTER - Delhi, Indian/Chicago, IL
Based out of both Chicago, IL + Delhi, India, WORK+SHELTER is an ethical sourcing + cut + sew business employing + empowering women in need. We combine ethical + fair-trade labor practices with sustainably sourced materials to carefully craft exceptional products.
https://workshelter.co/
Taylor has known them since: 2018
PLEASE DONATE AND CONTINUE TO SHOP ARTISAN PRODUCTS!
Help Support Fair Trade Producer Groups in India & Nepal
Over the course of my career in Fair Trade product development and production management I have had the honor and the privilege to work with tremendous organizations in India and Nepal. These Fair Trade organizations provide gainful employment, social services, and support to those in need most. They are all stepping up right now to ensure the health, safety, and well being of their members during the pandemic by providing work from home when possible, continued pay, food assistance, and other types of support. They are expanding their services outside of their organizations, launching hospitals, increasing capacity of their health programs. But with production completely halted they cannot maintain this critical support indefinitely.
Help us ensure that these organizations can continue to support their artisans while production is stopped.
I've included a profile and some status updates from each of the organizations we are supporting through this fundraiser. Updates will be posted here on where things stand at each group.
I am personally organizing this fundraiser. The funds raised will be divided among the organizations and sent via electronic funds transfer. 100% of the funds donated will be sent directly to the groups and all transfer fees are covered. What we raise is exactly what they will receive.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Here are what my friends & colleagues are saying about the situation their organizations face:
“We’re quickly assessing the scenario, seeing what we can do to comfort members. The situation is volatile and unpredictable. This time is worse than the earthquake. Our retail season has been so bad. Wondering how to pay producers.”
Sunil Chitrakar, Ph. D.
CEO
Mahaguthi - Kathmandu, Nepal
"Help us ensure they get back stronger. Help us keep them safe and sound in these difficult times. Help us support their families. Help us protect their art and tradition. Your help matters, however small, it should come from your heart.”
Nivedita Rai
Executive Director, Gudi Mudi Khadi Initiative
WomenWeave Charitable Trust - Maheshwar, India
"If the lock down is lifted soon… then we will manage… but if it is extended… we will struggle to pay the women regularly."
Johny Joseph
Director
Creative Handicrafts - Mumbai, India
“Our orders are decreasing. The next few months will be extremely difficult.”
Moon Sharma
CEO
Tara Projects - Delhi, India
Organization Profiles
Creative Handicrafts - Mumbai, India
-Empowering Women, Changing Lives-
The slums of Mumbai, India, are filled with people locked in a daily struggle to survive. Creative Handicrafts is an independent, non-religious, non-profit, co-operative born out of a desire to fight back and empower women and their families to live a better life.
At the co-operative, women learn marketable skills and join a supportive community. This helps them break free from a cycle that keeps them in poverty. Their financial situation improves and they are able to educate their families and insure their health. Supporting programs are funded by the co-operative and external donors. Among the many benefits offered are: Education Sponsorship, Training Sponsorship, Childcare, Health Insurance, Capacity Building, Savings, & Credit Program. See a video of Creative's journey below.
https://creativehandicrafts.org/
Taylor has known them since: 2012
Mahaguthi - Kathmandu, Nepal
-Craft with Conscience-
Mahaguthi Craft with Conscience is a not for profit, WFTO Guaranteed Fair Trade Organization which produces, markets and exports Nepal’s crafts. Mahaguthi serves both domestic as well as international markets and has two shops based in the Kathmandu Valley. Our organization represents the efforts of more than one thousand individual producers, fifty percent of whom are from remote and mountainous areas. Most of our producers are women who are given the chance to employ traditional skills in their own homes, thus enabling them to generate extra income. Your each purchase from Mahaguthi directly helps the people involved in every step of the supply chain as 68% of the sales go back to the artisans of the products.
https://mahaguthi.com.np/
Taylor has known them since: 2012
Sadhna & their parent organization Seva Mandir - Udaipur, India
Sadhna was established in 1988 to provide alternative incomes for women in Udaipur’s rural, tribal, and urban slum belts. As these communities were not dependent on agriculture, handicraft was chosen to be introduced to them. Sadhna taught patchwork, appliqué, and tanka embroidery skills to the women for them to earn a secure living. Today, Sadhna provides continuous training to women artisans to improve their skills, a support network to them in their villages, and a respectable position in their family and society.
https://www.sadhna.org/
Taylor has known them since: 2012
TARA Projects - Delhi, India
TARA’s mission is to practice fairness in its production and trading activities for the development of the grassroots and the other marginalized sections of society, using capacity building towards continuously improving its performance while ensuring social equity and environmental sustainability. The Organization is committed to follow the Fair Trade Standards developed by The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO).
http://taraprojects.com/
Taylor has known them since: 2012
Karghewale - Maheshwar, India
Karghewale works with 150 young weaver entrepreneurs, most of whom are graduates of WomenWeave’s The Handloom School, across thirteen states in India. Their mission is to support the creators of their textiles, a talented community of young and aspiring weaving professionals , so that they can build robust businesses. They believe that weavers are equal partners in the business, not mere wage workers who will weave the said design and be paid per meter. This gives them the leverage to circumvent the age-old impediments of commission agents in the value chain, and reach out to national and international markets directly.
https://www.karghewale.com/
Taylor has known them since 2021
WomenWeave - Maheshwar, India
-Sustainable luxury from the heart and soul of India-
Organization that produces fabric for Taylor Tall. Through the Gudi Mudi Khadi Project, WomenWeave links organic and non-organic cotton farmers of Central India with formerly unemployed local women of Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh to create unique, contemporary hand spun and hand-woven textiles. Their Handloom School is designed to identify and nurture the talent of young weavers from across India. Below is an excellent video illustrating how this organization supports rural artisans and the hand loom craft.
https://www.womenweave.org/
Taylor has known them since: 2018
Cocccon Crafts and Loom - Jharkhand, INDIA
Project Cocccon is a modern form of rural cooperation. It has decentralized production, which allows the silk farmers, spinners, weavers etc. to work directly from their own areas. All these different units are well connected with centralised headquarters. The storage of cocoons, yarns and ready textiles situated at the headquarters. Fairly paid and highly skilled artisans at Cocccon have created wonders with production of luxurious cruelty free silk.
https://cocccon-crafts-loom.com/
WORK+SHELTER - Delhi, Indian/Chicago, IL
Based out of both Chicago, IL + Delhi, India, WORK+SHELTER is an ethical sourcing + cut + sew business employing + empowering women in need. We combine ethical + fair-trade labor practices with sustainably sourced materials to carefully craft exceptional products.
https://workshelter.co/
Taylor has known them since: 2018
Organizer
Taylor McCleneghan
Organizer
Park Ridge, IL
