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ASHA, which means "hope" in Sanskrit, was started in 1975
by a group of Christian businessmen. ASHA re-structured in 1985 and today
is successfully marketing handcrafts for nearly 25 artisan cooperatives
and family workshops irrespective of creed, representing 800 artisans.
As a sign of its commitment to the artisans, ASHA welfare workers work
closely with the families of the artisans, extending medical care and educational
assistance by providing yearly scholarships to children attending primary
school, supplying them with school fees, uniforms, and books. Other benefits
include interest-free loans, face masks for artisans working with dust
or powders, advances to purchase raw materials, and pure drinking water. |
Manos Amigas, which means "hands of friendship," is a non-profit income-generating
program which was started to provide funds for a breakfast program for
children offered by a Baptist Church in Lima. 20% of the profits from the
sales of handcrafts are used to support the feeding program for children.
Benefits to the 50 artisans affiliated with Manos Amigas include: training
courses in accounting, business administration, costing, and design and
the packaging and shipping of the products which is handled by Manos Amigas
staff.
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Peru : Central Interregional De Artesanos Del Peru
Central Inter-regional de Artesanos del Peru (C.I.A.P.) represents
20 Peruvian artisan cooperatives with a total membership of about 1170
artisans and their families. Representatives from all 20 producer groups
meet once a year to make decisions about budgeting, operating costs, shipping,
and to elect a new board of directors. Artisan groups belonging to C.I.A.P.
come from Ayacucho, Puno, Cusco, Pucallpa, and the poorer barrios surrounding
Lima. CIAP offers its members benefits such as health care, a rotating
loan fund, advances to purchase raw materials, a community soup kitchen,
school supplies and books.
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Bolivia : Q'Antati
The Q'ANTATI Association represents 12 cooperatives with over 450 artisans
who are involved in knitting, weaving, and sewing projects as well as the
production of musical instruments and ceramics. One of the goals of the
Q'ANTATI association is to preserve the culture of the Aymara Indians.
Q'ANTATI is an Aymaran Indian word meaning "dawn," which symbolizes a new
day and new hope for the future. Bolivia's Quechua and Aymara Indians make
up over 55% of the population and are concentrated in the high Andean plateau
where they struggle to earn a living as miners, herders, and weavers.
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We also have other fair trade drums and things at the store that are
too large for us to ship.
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Mai Handcrafts was started by two social workers who were
concerned about improving the lives of street children and single mothers
in Ho Chi Minh City and ethnic minorities in mountain hamlets. Assistance
is offered in the areas of quality control, marketing, and export procedures.
The 300 artisans (80% are women) associated with Mai Handcrafts are earning
between US$50 and $70 a month in a country where the average monthly income
is US$20-30.
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Mai Handcrafts was started by two social workers who were
concerned about improving the lives of street children and single mothers
in Ho Chi Minh City and ethnic minorities in mountain hamlets. Assistance
is offered in the areas of quality control, marketing, and export procedures.
The 300 artisans (80% are women) associated with Mai Handcrafts are earning
between US$50 and $70 a month in a country where the average monthly income
is US$20-30.
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Ruth and Nohemi, a program of the Methodist Church in Guatemala, was
started in the 1980's to generate income for widows who had lost their
husbands in the civil war. The program today also includes young men, many
of them sons of these widows, who are helping themselves and their families
by learning income-generating skills and receiving a basic education. |
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The Sarvodaya movement in Sri Lanka was founded in 1958, based on the
Gandhian principles of non-violence, truth, and self-denial. The goal of
the organization was to promote harmony among the various ethnic groups
in Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon) by sponsoring community development
projects and training youth in non-violent and conflict resolution skills.
Today, Sarvodaya is the largest non-governmental organization in the country,
involved in agriculture, family planning, education, health care, ecology,
income generation, and disaster relief in over 5600 villages and neighborhoods
around the country. Proceeds from sales of handcrafts, through Sarvodaya's
Handcraft Export division Lanka Jathika, help fund its community development
projects. |
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