Ganesh Himal Trading

Tag: artisan

  • Untitled post 30515

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    Featured Artisan: Padhma Creations

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    Padhma Creation’s Story

    [/fusion_title][fusion_text]It almost seems too simple: a skein of wool saving a life.  For women of Nepal, beaten down by a complex and consuming social status, wool is a welcome reality.

    IMG_5300-300x225Hasroon is one of these women.  Hasroon was married at 18 and living a happy life with her infant son and husband . . . until her in-laws began demanding dowry money.  When Hasroon’s family couldn’t pay, she was beaten, humiliated, and ultimately covered with gasoline, pushed into the bathroom, and set on fire. Today, Hasroon works for Padhma Creations, a social enterprise founded by Kesang Yudron.   Padhma is the Sanskrit word for lotus, the flower that emerges pure and white from the muddy swamp.  Kesang believes it is a fitting symbol for the women artisans, like Hasroom, who work at Padhma Creations.  Padhma Creations gives Hasroon the training and job she needs to provide a secure and supportive life for her and her son.

    Padhma Creations partners with women from neighboring villages of Nepalgunj, Bardiya, and Surkhet in Nepal.  Wool is divided among their families who then make berets, scarves, socks, and other items in their homes or in shelters for women without homes. These woolens are then sold, and the money reinvested in programs to support the artisans and their children.  Kesang thought of the idea in 2000 when she and her father visited Nepalgunj, a border town between Nepal and India.

    “I remember being shocked at the sight of a 13-year-old village girl being rescued from trafficking by the police,” Kesang said. “The story was that a distant relative of hers had intentions of selling her to a brothel in Mumbai. This incident created a lasting and profound impression on my life.”

    Thousands of young Nepali women are trafficked to India every year for prostitution, child labor, and slavery, Kesang said.
    Others are victims of domestic abuse.  All have no jobs or paying skills. “Padhma Creations not only helps these women but saves their families from a life of spiraling poverty. [In addition,] we want to raise awareness about the lives of people in other countries,” Kesang said. “Our hope is to influence a new generation of empathetic young adults  who will be socially conscious consumers.”

    Or, like Kesang, they’ll become entrepreneurs investing in human life worldwide.

    -Article from St. Benedicts College

    [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””][fusion_text]In addition to providing above market wages for the women, Padhma aims to provide women artisans with health, education and social welfare programs.  And so, since 2011, Ganesh Himal Trading has contributed $1.00 for every item made by the group to a Worker Development Fund.  A Worker’s Development Fund is a social benefit package which compliments already existing fair wages and steady employment. The money that is set aside gives women in the group the chance to decide how that money can be used to create additional financial support for the artisan group as a whole. Since 2011 the women have chosen to use a portion of the funds to provide scholarships for their children.  Originally, these scholarships were prioritized for the women most in need, but as the fund grew the number of recipients grew and now, all of the children of Padhma knitters are on scholarship (49 children as of 2015).  In 2015 alone, Ganesh Himal contributed $6,345.  Additional funds have been used for medical expenses, funeral costs and family emergencies.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Artisan Spotlights[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]

    Radika Zenda

    [/fusion_title][fusion_text]Radika is 34 years old and has been knitting for 3 years. She was introduced to the shelter project by friends in the neighborhood. Her income from knitting helps send her son to school since her husband does not support the family. In addition to knitting, she raises chickens.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]

    Meera Balmiki

    [/fusion_title][fusion_text]DSCN0418-2Meera is the master knitter at Padhma Creations. She travels to Kathmandu to learn the pattern from Pemala and then she trains the other knitters. At age 35, she has 1 brother who paid his own way through college, and 3 sisters, all of whom finished high school. Because of a tumor in her leg, Meera is unable to use a sewing machine, so she relies on her knitting skills to support herself and her family.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]

    Kesang Yudron

    [/fusion_title][fusion_text]DSCN0347-2Kesang Yudron first visited Nepalgunj as a high school student when her father wanted to train women of the area to knit.  A typical teenager, Kesang didn’t think much of the experience at the time.  After completing her accounting degree in Minnesota and working in a cubicle for a large company, however, she realized that she would rather serve her home community.   Inspired by the story of a 13 year old village girl being rescued from trafficking by the police in Nepagunj, Kesang founded Padhma Creations to provide women artisans with employm[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]

    Dhana Visht

    [/fusion_title][fusion_text]Meera is the master knitter at Padhma Creations. She travels to Kathmandu to learn the pattern from Pemala and then she trains the other knitters. At age 35, she has 1 brother who paid his own way through college, and 3 sisters, all of whom finished high school. Because of a tumor in her leg, Meera is unable to use a sewing machine, so she relies on her knitting skills to support herself and her family.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]

    A Small Sample of Padhma Creations Knitwear

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    See all of Padhma Creation’s Knits Here>

    (you must be logged-in to view)

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  • The Photograph We Didn’t Get

    By Candi Smucker

    In western Nepal is the town of Nepalgunj, it is located a couple of miles north of the border with India. This is were we flew on Thursday afternoon.

    The flight from Kathmandu was in a 30 passenger prop plane of some sort (yes, I know, not enough info for some of you). We were in the air about an hour and had been told to sit on the right hand side of the plane if at all possible. When I boarded Denise was already seated and had saved me a window seat for which I am eternally grateful. The view of the Himalayans was worth the entire price of the ticket. The full hour was panorama of one grand peak after another.

    Nepalgunj is a smallish town (population still to be determined, no one seemed to know) that is flat, hot and humid with the tiniest of airports about five miles out of town. If they have 8 flights a day I would be surprised. Kesang met us at the airport with a van, we loaded in with our overnight bags and off we sped to the hotel on the other side of Nepalgunj.

    Kesang is a twenty-something Tibetan who has started Padhma Creations, a group of knitters affiliated with a shelter for abused or trafficked women. Kesang went to college in Minnesota and has now returned to Nepal to carry on her family tradition of assisting the women of Nepal gain higher economic independence. More on the family in a later report from an earlier day, these reports are going to be quite out-of-order.DSC_0143

    The main road to the hotel is full, really full, of motorcycles, bicycles, horse-drawn platform taxis, little mini-mini passenger taxis, bicycle rickshaws, pedestrians, freight trucks coming in from India, goats, chickens, cows and children. Oh, and potholes.

    We made it quite nicely to the hotel, checked-in, dumped our stuff and headed off across the street to the shelter home for a quick visit. It was dusk and as we sat and chatted with a few of the women (Kesang was super translator) the mosquitoes also came to greet us. Of course in an attempt to pack light for our overnight trip no one had insect repellent. The local pharmacy seemed to be out so the ladies at the shelter proceeded to light egg cartons to create smoke to keep them at bay. I am a mosquito magnet so that wasn’t really necessary for the rest of the group but I appreciated it.

    Then it was back across the street for a leisurely dinner at the hotel. Leisurely because it took an hour and a half for the food to arrive. I suspect they had to call the cook back in for this large crowd of North American women. It was a tasty vegetarian buffet once it arrived, not what we had actually ordered but very satisfying. And the beer, pappadams and conversation kept us occupied until the food arrived.

    The first thing the next morning we hopped on bicycle rickshaws and headed south to the border. There were two of us per rickshaw which may have been half a person too many. The morning was sunny and bright, not yet too warm, a pretty good morning for a drive to the border and on a bicycle rickshaw you are right in the middle of all the action with good views of the passing countryside.

    At the border is an arch. That and the border patrol let you know you have arrived. All the traffic flows freely between the two countries with the border patrol stopping an occasional vehicle for a brief inspection. Kathy, Joan and I have multiple entry visas for India but opted not to go across as it would have taken some time to get our border stamp. Everyone but us could freely cross the border. And we kind of stand out in a crowd.

    We stopped to visit the woman who manages the office affiliated with the women’s shelter. Her job is to provide support and assistance to people found being trafficked into India for labor, sex or organs. With the relatively loose border inspections we asked how these women (and some children) were noticed. It seems there is a pretty good network of rickshaw and bus drivers who will clue her in if they suspect something isn’t right.

    After this visit it was back on the rickshaws for the trip back into Nepalgunj and a return to the shelter. By the time we arrived they were all at work, sitting around the yard knitting mittens and stockings. Some of the women are living at the shelter and need employment, others are community women in need of work to supplement meager family income who come to the shelter to knit though sometimes they also knit at home. None arrived as knitters and Kesang has brought several of them to Kathmandu to learn and then return to teach others. The orders received for their knits from Ganesh Himal and a few others still do not keep them employed full-time. As we interviewed them and asked if they had any questions for us the only thing we heard was a request to please place more orders. They knit a colorful Christmas stocking that has been a best-selling product for Ganesh Himal. Denise says her goal now is to find ways to double her sales of these stockings. What are we going to do about that?

    DSC_0118

    This was our first visit with bunches of children around so out came the books we had toted halfway around the world. I sat on the sidewalk by the swing set and we all read books together. I left the books with the shelter manager and hope they become well-worn.

    After lunch (we ordered earlier) it was off to visit at the homes of five or six of the knitters a short walk from the hotel and shelter. These are simple homes, often six or seven people to a room within a compound of extended family members. Children were all over the place wanting their pictures taken and giggling like crazy when they got to see them. They also grow mushrooms which was fun to see.

    Our return flight was scheduled to leave at 4:55. At 4:10 (you already see the problem here) the bright, shiny, black, chrome-covered SUV with fancy lights taxi pulls in to take us to the airport. Nine of us plus the driver sardine into the vehicle and pray for the driver to start the car so we can roll down the windows and breathe. Off we go, plenty of time. We wind our way S-L-O-W-L-Y through all those things on the roads listed above. Finally, we make it to the other of side of town where the traffic thins out, the pot-holes mostly cease and the driver can pick up speed. It is now 4:30. Just as the speed increases a flapping sound starts. The driver pulls over. I assume something is wrong with the luggage on top of the car. Wrong. The fan belt has broken. It is now 4:35 and he has called for a replacement fan belt. This is not going to work. Sarah springs to action. From the open window she hollers at a passing van that we need to get to the airport fast. The van flips around and pulls in along side. We all leap from the car, Sarah jumps up and throws down all the bags on the top, we grab them and pile into the waiting van. Denise passes a 500 rupee note to the first driver and dives into the second car. Austin, Kesang and I are in the very back seat facing backwards. As the new driver floors it Austin shouts thank you to the SUV driver and he turns to look at us with the fan belt in his hand and smile on his face standing in front of the SUV with the hood up and waves. It’s the picture we didn’t get.

    We are still about a mile from the airport. Read Candi’s next post to find out if we ever made it!

  • Power of 5 launched and Girls Scholarships get funded!

    While in Nepal in 2013, Ganesh Himal staff had the opportunity to meet with two recipients of the ACP Girl Child Education Fund, an girl scholarship fund at the Association for Craft Producers that Ganesh Himal has donated to for years. Sisters Heema, 16, and Heena, 10, had both received a scholarship for 3 years and loved school, but their scholarships were ending. Due to high demand for the program and lack of funds, ACP had to limit scholarships to no longer than 3 years for the children of their producers. Determined to extend Heema and Heena’s scholarships, we at Ganesh Himal each donated $5 with the dream that we could get 1000 people to do the same. The Power of 5 campaign was born.

    What can $5 do? It can buy you a coffee, or a hamburger. It can buy you a gallon of gas. Or, it can help a girl in Nepal attend school for 2 weeks. That means that for 10 days a young girl is reading, writing, learning with her friends, and stretching her imagination. What happens if she isn’t at school? She is three times more likely to be married before her 18th birthday. She stays at home, and the traditional cycle of exclusion that keeps girls disengaged from decision making continues. $5 helps a young girl battle the cycle of poverty.

    Now imagine if all of your friends gave $5. Then they asked all of their friends to donate $5? 10 friends donating $5 is a scholarship for one girl to go to school for 6 months! That’s a ripple–an ever-expanding body of people changing the lives of girls in Nepal. And the ripple doesn’t stop there. These girls each create their own ripples of change starting with their families, then their village, and even their country. When 10% more girls go to school, a country’s GDP increases an average of 3% according to the Council of Foreign Relations. That affects the world. The ripple is limitless, and it starts with $5. This is the Power of 5.

    Our goal is to sponsor at least 100 girls, or boys if in need, in Nepal for one more year of schooling through the ACP Child Education Fund. In order to do so, we need 2,000 people to donate $5. We’ve created beautiful bookmarks for you to use to collect donations. By asking for a $5 donation for each bookmark you place in your store, you not only help us reach our goal, but you start the discussion about why girls are such an amazing investment and about why they aren’t in school.

    There are two ways of creating a ripple:

    Personal Ripple– Place  bookmarks in your store and ask for a donation of $5 for each.Customers can get involved as individuals and feel good knowing that 100% of their donation is going towards the ACP Child Education Fund. Not only that, their donation is tax deductible through the Conscious Connections Foundation, a foundation started by the founders of Ganesh Himal Trading.

    Power of 5 Ripple–

    Encourage friends/regular customers/community members to take a packet of bookmarks (either 5, 15, or 30) to distribute for donations amongst their friends. If each person finds 5 friends who turn around and find 5 friends, then through networking, the ripple multiplies by the power of 5. You can use your store as the collection point, creating community and exposing new people to the world of Fair Trade and girl’s education.

    Join the Power of 5 campaign today. Here’s how…

    1) Request a packet of bookmarks via the Ganesh Himal website. www.ganeshhimaltrading.com If you want to participate in the Power of 5 Ripple then order multiple smaller packets; if a personal Ripple better suits your store, then order one large packet.

    2) We will issue you an invoice for the number of bookmarks you want and send them with your next order.

    3) You gather donations for the bookmarks and write a check to Conscious Connections Foundation and send it to PO Box 342 Spokane WA  for the amount of donations gathered. Please put  “donation for Power of 5”  in the memo line. The Power of 5 is a project of the Conscious Connections Foundation which is a 501©3 nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS. EIN #:471602190 and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

    4) CCF is all volunteer run and so is the program in Nepal so 100% of donations will go directly to sending children, who otherwise would not be able to attend, to school in Nepal. Our focus and priority is on sending girls to school but if girls are served and boys are in need we will sponsor them as well.  If each of us gives a little, it’s no longer pocket change but big change: JOIN THE POWER OF 5!

    Use these to generate donations for the scholarship fund AND raise awareness about the importance of educating girls!

  • 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!