Umesh

There can often be a special story associated with almost any part of what goes into creating and getting our fair trade products to you – even the steps you may not think about. 

Take, for example, Umesh, the young man at the Kumbeshwar Technical School (KTS) who manages packing all shipments – for us, almost all of the knitwear we make.  Umesh came to KTS when he was 5-6 years old – brought by the police seeking support for him  as he appeared to have no parents, and was deaf.  KTS has always been wonderfully responsive to their surrounding community and has developed a very small orphanage that can be there to support kids like Umesh – usually around 10-15 at a time.  Umesh grew up with KTS and is now a critical part of their operations to ensure all goes out the door – well organized and on time.  Each time we visit KTS is it sheer joy to meet Umesh, always with such a gentle way, and beautiful light about him that it totally inspiring.  His pride in his work and accomplishments are evident and it is a gift to just work beside him.

Bijaya

Bijaya is an integral part of the sewing unit at The Association for Craft Producers (ACP), where we create our felted wool products.  She has learned sewing over the years, and is now head of the sewing unit at ACP, mentoring many women, and corralling together the myriad of details that must be attended to to ensure products meet a high quality standard.  When we plan new designs, Bijaya is our first go-to for her wisdom on sewing techniques and the soundness of a new product we’d like to work together on.  While she is a very humble woman, and hates to criticize, over the years we have worked up our mutual confidence for her to be able to tell us when our designs and patterning are a little out of whack. 

Even for one product, our tote, you can thank Bijaya for her support of women, at many different skill levels, to finish all sewing details gorgeously, a challenging task on treddle sewing machines – hand sewing the lining and inserting pockets, sewing in a strong hand woven cotton liner, and re-enforcing the buckle insertion on the straps to ensure they will hold up over time, or carefully lining up and sewing on the coconut shell buttons that attach our hand printed art panels. 

Bijaya is not only a key player to ensure products are well-made, but she is an important role model and support to increase the capacity of the women she works with, new trainees, and the overall capacity of the tailoring unit at ACP.   And how could we not love showing up at work when we are at ACP with a smile like Bijaya’s to greet us?