Ganesh Himal Trading

Category: Ganesh Himal Artisan Spotlight

  • Spokane City Forum, Reading, and Product of the Week

    Hello Blog Readers!

    It’s the newly established Ganesh Himal Trading Intern.

    Before I begin I want to share my excitement about a product I discovered while exploring the Ganesh Himal Trading inventory: the little felted elephant bags. They had caught my eye when I was browsing the website and during my tour of Ganesh Himal Trading. Between the adorable design and the story behind them, I couldn’t resist featuring them in my blog post. The design reminds me of a bag I had as a child, a horse purse, who was a stuffed animal with a zipper across the back and the bag compartment was his stomach. Adding to the whimsical design of these bags are some wonderfully unexpected color combinations. Long story short,  I may soon be walking out  with one of these bags for some young girls who live next door.

    The elephant bags are created by a group of crafters that was formed by a former employee of the Association for Craft Producers (ACP), Hari Basnet. Hari, with the help of ACP and Ganesh Himal Trading started his own business, and up until his recent death employed 15 women with steady work and fair wage. The women have been able to continue on carrying on his mission. I find his mission and commitment to women very admirable.

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    I had a fun time herding up some bags for this photo

    In addition to Hari Basnet, I also loved hearing the individual stories of producers from Denise at the Spokane City Forum on the 17th. The stories of the women are so empowering, how through their employment they have become strong and are now advocates for their communities. I hope to bring the same empowerment to women in my career. I was very excited to attend because my dad, who works at First Presbyterian Church, has been encouraging me for months to attend City Forums and I’m glad I finally received  the opportunity.  What I loved almost as much as I loved hearing Denise and Kim speak, was seeing how the audience reacted. They were completely hooked and when Denise passed around some examples of the products made from what was considered trash (tire innertubes and recycled billboards)–the audience was tickled. Each person examined the products with glee, smiles and whispers of admiration to their colleagues.

    After my first day I was given some reading to do, “An Overview of Fair Trade in North America” which gave the basics of Fair Trade: its history; its principles, importance, major names, challenges and personal impact. Everyone should read or a least skim through a copy. The pamphlet may not be every one’s cup of tea, I would say a lot fact based reading isn’t, but it gives a great overview of the subject including a conflict I found particularly interesting. The concern is over the emerging differences between certification guidelines.

    The overview mentioned the specific coffee and how different groups are now allowing hired labor and plantations to have their coffee certified. I would like to avoid becoming pessimistic but I believe caution should be taken to ensure there are guidelines. The typical consumer is most likely unaware of these differences. While this may be good for business and while I am not condemning organizations for altering guidelines to encourage larger companies and corporations to apply for certification to encourage the shift to fair trade practices, I am worried this could dilute the reputation of the fair trade, much like the USDA’s organic certification and corporations strategic use of phrases such as “100% natural”.

    All of this being said I fear preaching to the choir. What are your thoughts readers?

    Until next time,

    Lauren

    The Ganesh Himal Trading Intern[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Artisan Partner Spotlight: Ram Devi

    As a young woman, Ram Devi had a strong desire to work to improve her family’s economic condition. Her father, struggling with a gambling addiction, mortgaged the family home and took out a loan to start a poultry farm. Unfortunately, whatever income generated from the farm he wagered away, resulting in shame and debt

    Even with their hardships, Ram Devi’s family banished the concept of her finding a job, calling it “improper” for a woman to work outside of the home. Her financial straps tightened with the addition of her children, adding to her loans and debts.

    Dismissing her family’s conservative restrictions, Ram Devi joined ACP in 1992. Initially, she made Christmas ornaments and stamped designs on pottery. After one year, ACP offered artisans training on the ceramic wheel. Ram Devi was selected and after the six month training period she mastered the skill – which, in Nepalese society, is deemed a “man’s work.”

    Breaking social stereotypes was not on Ram Devi’s agenda when joining ACP, but since her beginnings, she has been financially independent and commands respect within her home and community. With the income she’s earned, she purchased her own potters wheel and started working from home in the morning and evenings to supplement her income. The death of her husband left her the sole financial bearer of her children and father-in-law, which she attends to with her earnings from ACP. Memories haunt her of her former life in poverty — not being able to visit her sick mother because she didn’t have the bus fair, sending her children to sleep hungry — but today, she is working hard to pay off her mortgage and climb out of debt. She is hopeful for her future and the future of her children.

    Ganesh Himal Trading has carried the work of Ram Devi and other ceramics workers from ACP since 1984!

  • Help Ganesh Himal Trading Build a Weaving Workshop in Nepal!

    Ganesh Himal has agreed to raise $2500 help rebuild ACP’s Bhagwati groups weaving workshop. We will donate $1250 and we invite you to help us raise the additional $1250. 100% of your donation will go to the building fund. Ganesh Himal has worked with this group since 1986.

    Bhagwati Shrestha is a weaver for the Association of Craft Producers (ACP), a Fair Trade group in Kathmandu, Nepal. Like many girls in Nepal, Bhagwati was forced to leave school at a young age to help support her family. Fortunately she was able to get work with ACP, a women’s craft center established to provide low income & abandoned women with employment and training in traditional skills like weaving.

    Bhagwati has worked hard at ACP and been elected by her co-workers to lead their weaving group. Through ACP she has learned the management skills necessary to effectively represent this group. She has risen to the challenge and since her promotion her weaving group has almost doubled in size. Now Bhagwati and the women in her group are earning a good living through ACP and have she has been able to finish school and begin college while also being the sole provider for her family.

    In Bhagwati’s group the women chose to create their own communal workshop near their homes so they could easily work in their spare time, near their children. Their association with Fair Trade has allowed them to earn much needed income while gaining respect and power with in their families. They have also learned the value of their work which gives them much greater power in the marketplace.

    Their current workshop is badly in need of upgrading! They don’t have the funds to rebuild it and so have asked us for our help. Please help us reach our goal! You can make a donation by logging onto our website and going to “Women’s Projects” in our store or you can simply send us a check with Bhagwati fund in the memo line. After you make your donation we would love for you to send us a picture of your store so that we can make a collage of all of the different people who have help out with this project!

    *This could be a fun store project! Get creative or just paste the following message onto a jar and collect donations. Donate a percent of the items that Bhagwati’s group makes or even raffle off some of their items! Have fun with it and know that every penny raised will go to raising a new roof for them!* Poster

    Bhagwati’s group makes all of our recycled silk placemats and runners, blockprint placemats and runners, rag rugs and block print floor mats.