Wages for Baobab Batik Staff

Handicraft Soul is holding a fundraiser in support of our fair trade artisan partners at Baobab Batik! Located in the Kingdom of Swaziland, a landlocked nation neighboring South Africa, Baobab Batik is a social enterprise focused on providing dignified employment opportunities to women in their community. The business emphasizes fair trade principles such as fostering a nurturing and safe work environment, and paying fair wages. The 35 women they employ full time are involved in various aspects of the production of gorgeous handmade, batik products.



In light of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Baobab Batik has chosen to halt production at their workshop and close 2 retail shop locations in Swaziland for an undetermined amount of time, in order to keep their staff and their family members healthy. This means all Baobab Batik staff have been sent home on unpaid leave for at least the month of April. 

The 35 ladies who are employed by Baobab Batik greatly depend on their incomes to cover basic needs such as food, shelter, and medicine, much like you & I. The big difference is that in this part of the world, people often cannot acquire a savings to cover even the essentials, and there are no government stimulus packages or unemployment benefits for citizens to fall back on when employment opportunities are taken away.
 


Here are 2 ways you can support this fundraiser:

1) You can purchase beautiful handmade products directly from Baobab Batik to help generate an income that will pay salaries during the weeks that their workshop is closed.
Head over to our website (handicraftsoul.com) and shop batik products like scarves, aprons, and cushion covers at discounted prices. All proceeds from purchases will go directly toward paying a basic salary to all staff members at Baobab Batik.

SHOP HERE 

**Please Note: South Africa is currently under a 21-day government issued lockdown that is set to end on April 16th.  All shipments from Swaziland are sent via South Africa. If you choose to support Baobab Batik by purchasing their goods online, note that the stock you are ordering is currently in Swaziland, and it will be shipped as soon as possible once the lockdown is lifted**

2) You can also give a monetary donation. We know these are tough times for everyone, but even small contributions of $5-$10 can collectively go a long way and make a big impact!


We feel it is so important to support fair trade businesses like Baobab Batik all the time, but it is even more imperative right now during uncertain circumstances. If we all come together, we can make sure that the staff members at Baobab Batik can have security and peace of mind in knowing they will receive a salary that will carry them through until they can resume work.



Thank you! Any purchase or contribution will be greatly appreciated by these ladies during this challenging time that is affecting many across the globe.

We will be running the monetary donation portion of the fundraiser until April 20th, with the option to extend depending on how long the Baobab Batik workshop is closed. You may purchase Baobab Batik products for the fundraiser until further notice.