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Use the links below to find out more about the trading partners and craftspeople that we work with.
In Hindi ‘asha’ means ‘hope’ and this is what Asha Handicrafts brings to thousands of artisans throughout India. Asha was established in 1975 as a fair trade Christian organisation. India, which is one of the largest handcraft-producing countries in ... More >> |
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Colleen Redit, who began CMCT in 1964, writes, ‘Our motto is, “Where there is no vision the people perish.” My aim was to teach vocational skills to poor communities, to give them independence and self-esteem. I began the Haven of Hope Handicraft Cen... More >> |
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Based in Madras, C T Philip began in 1971 as a father and son partnership marketing Indian handicrafts. India is a major country for the production of craft goods, but the business climate often means that the craft workers receive very little for th... More >> |
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How does an old tumble-dryer motor change lives?
Thirty years ago, John Karunaratne had a dream to provide jobs for unemployed young men around Colombo, Sri Lanka. Using the motor from a broken tumble-dryer donated by a local pastor, John made a wo... More >> |
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Wars and international disputes always bring suffering to ordinary people. After the Bangladesh war of independence in 1971, thousands of Bihari people living as refugees in Dhaka were not allowed to return to Pakistan. Social exclusion and lack of f... More >> |
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Teenage girls in South India, who would otherwise have no education opportunities, attend Intermission’s training centre in Chennai. The students can stay in the workshop for up to three years, where they learn skills like batik, handloom weaving and... More >> |
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In the Zulu language the word for ‘rejoice’ is jabulani. In some of the areas around Durban, South Africa, the high prevalence of AIDS and a lack of employment opportunities mean that it is perhaps heard less often than it should be.
When Paula Goo... More >> |
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The Lao Song people came from the hills of Laos more than 160 years ago. They retain their traditions and customs. Life is hard in the Lao Song village of Lamkajow, near Bangkok in Thailand. Networks of women rely on the income from handicrafts to fe... More >> |
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The surroundings are dry, dusty and run-down, but the intricately hand-painted crafts that the family produces are stunning. In a small carpentry workshop on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, Alfredo Sacsa works with his wife Isabelle and 17-year-old Davi... More >> |
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The McKean Rehabilitation and Craft Centre have been providing craft-skills training and employment to people with leprosy for more than 100 years. It is one of the leading foundations of its kind in the world. Many skills are taught, including wood-... More >> |
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In rural Bangladesh, women often have no opportunities to provide for themselves. MCC is a Christian development organisation that works in Bangladesh to create employment, particularly for women who are heads of households. Increasing demand for han... More >> |
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Craft workers with Mission Cottage Industries carve bowls, plates and activity sets from acacia wood. This is intricate and labour intensive work; it can take up to eight hours to finish a single carving, and then the drying process takes from 15 to ... More >> |
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People cured from leprosy are learning leather-working skills to help them make a living, thanks to the Nepal Leprosy Trust, established in Kathmandu in 1976.Many used to live in the isolated government leprosy colony, totally rejected by society. No... More >> |
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When standing up for your principles has caused you to be $10,000 in debt and without a job, it sounds like time to back down and give up. But for Samuel Masih it was the start of a journey of commitment to helping poor people.
In 1986 Samuel took... More >> |
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Strung along the mountains of northern Thailand and down its western border live six tribal peoples. Life is harsh and persecution has forced many to leave their traditional homeland in countries like Burma. Maintaining traditional ways of life whils... More >> |
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Bringing light and hope to unemployed women in South Africa’s Cape Town region is what Cheryl and Dave Milligan are passionate about. That is why their organisation is called Umtha ‑ ‘ray of light’ in the local Xhosa language.
Umtha’s roots are mode... More >> |
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Wongwiang Handicrafts began life in 1978 as a small family run business making lacquer-ware items.Mr Wongwiang was an in-patient with leprosy at the McKean Rehabilitation Centre and learnt his craft skills during his time there. He set up his own bus... More >> |
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