About Me

I went on a journey throughout India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia and Thailand observing organizations that are working specifically with marginalized women and children who have been or are at-risk of being trafficked as sex workers or bonded laborers. While this blog is expository, its intent is to create awareness as well as provide real-life examples of solutions! Hence, the name of the blog. Beauty is lost in these dark places. Yet, there are people hard at work redeeming human lives. Many programs create vocational training to provide income-generation for the participants. These organizations are creating beautiful products that are emerging in the western marketplace. They are shop-worthy for their uniqueness, but also because they are creating second-chances for women who are lifting themselves out of poverty. We who "have" can make a big impact in the world simply by how we choose to spend our money. Also, we can donate to organizations that are on the field, down the alleys and in the trenches. This work is not easy but the pay-off is great. Lives are redeemed and beauty is found.

10.20.2010

10.11.10 *FOUND | Friends Handicraft



Shanti and Sujitha are friends. They are also sisters and artists. But, they don't leave it at that. After they finished university, they wanted to help the women in their communities, as most of the women around them had no work. While women do the most amount of work in the home—waking first in the morning to fetch water, cook and tend to the rest of household, they are not valued because their tending brings no income. So these two sisters conspired to create jobs which the women could do at home or in the studio—their choice.

Nepalis are shepherds and herders: mostly of goats, cows and yak. The wool that comes from their coats is used for pashminas and blankets and numerous other handicrafts. In a market saturated with pashminas and blankets, they decided to try their hand at something a little different using felted wool, one of the oldest fabrics known to man. Down the dusty back alleys of Thamel and up a flight of stairs in a building that is literally being built around them, at least 50 women are busily sewing lively creations in to existence. Elephants, dogs, birds. Bags, necklaces, slippers, hats and the polka dot coin purses that sold-out at all the awareness events I did before I left. Friends Handicraft is a creative carnival  of color, chatter and creativity.







The majority of the the products made by Friends Handicraft are exported for sale outside Nepal. They have many custom orders placed by European designers and do a swift holiday business. Many of the women were busy tying the last of the ribbons on the holiday ornaments. 

Some of the items are also available on the MadeBySurvivors website, but stay posted for new products! 

Friends Handicraft represents a small but growing collective of efforts by Nepalis. There are many human-relief organizations on the ground in Nepal. While some are in fact doing life-changing work, there are many that do nothing but pocket donations. Corruption has no shame, even in the human-relief industry. So, it is refreshing to see smart women like these two running an honest business of hard-working women. Now if the government could just follow their example, Nepal might actually get a move on.

There are others that are getting on board depending not on foreign investment, but on their very own hard work. There is a lot of room for more opportunities. If you can't shop online, book a ticket to Nepal. This place will change your life.

Maha Guthi // www.mahaguthi.org
Dhukuti: Association for Craft Producers // www.acp.org.np

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