Lots has been going on here at CSU and at Dhaka Weaves. Stacey and I are extremely busy with school and work, but we have managed to have a couple of sales, thanks to all who have shown their additional support! We have almost broke even, which means we will start putting the money aside so we can send it back to Dhaka Weaves.
I have been in touch with Mohini quite a bit lately and just recently heard from Rita. The good news is that Dhaka Weaves is still in business! I have connected them with a woman who is going to Nepal and is interested in buying their products for a group called, Empower Dalit Women of Nepal (EDWON).
Apparently the organization works with so-called 'untouchable' women in rural areas. Through self-help groups, microfinance activity and education, EDWON seeks to empowers women economically and socially. It seems like a really neat organization. Where Dhaka Weaves comes in, is that EDWON raises money here, in the US, through private donations and through selling crafts from Nepal. The women they work with directly make only a few products. So they are looking for other women’s groups who make products that will sell and that they can support. Dhaka Weaves is a really great fit and this relationship could be very beneficial for both groups.
The situation in Nepal has not gotten any better, in fact it has gotten a little worse. From what I understand the minimum wage has increased 40% and the weavers are demanding that they get salary based on that number. It seems fair, but without orders and without a manager, where is this money going to come from? Mohini mentioned that most groups like Dhaka Weaves will have to close down because of these outrageous demands. Rita and Mohini both have hope that Dhaka Weaves will make it through, by raising the cost of the product they will make some additional profit. I was speaking with a friend today and she brought up a great point, hope is not a strategy! Hope is needed and it is a great thing to have, but hope and faith alone cannot run a company.
I found out earlier this week that Rita's son has thyroid cancer, this news is very tragic. Please keep your thoughts with him! Pritiva had her baby on September 2nd and both mother and son are doing great.
In class we have been discussing funding and that how one chooses to fund their organization will place a shadow over it. In the case of Dhaka Weaves changing to a not-for-profit might have been one of the biggest mistakes made. Now no one is taking direct responsibility and this might be because no one is making money from it anymore. I know the board members all care tremendously about Dhaka Weaves and the women that work there, but it takes more than this. They are all so busy with their other companies that Dhaka Weaves is left to run on its own. I believe the emotional attachment is what has kept it alive. I too am emotionally attached to the organization, but what to do from here while I am in school? The question is how can we turn emotional attachment and hope into action that makes a difference? I would love to go back and help get momentum going, like my friend said, just help get them to the top of the hill. From there, they will be able to take off rolling!
I guess these are the only thoughts and updates I have for now. I hope to be able to tell you more soon. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please let me know.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
What Now??
It has been almost three weeks since returning from Nepal and the time has really gone too quickly! Catching up with friends and family has taken the majority of the time, but Stacey and I continue to do follow up work for Dhaka Weaves. We started school last Monday, now we are really crammed with readings, projects, work and life!
Stacey and I bought several Dhaka Weaves products while we were in Nepal and brought them back with us to Fort Collins, CO. We have three goals: 1- to see what the consumer response is 2- to promote the product to small companies that we believe will want to sell it and 3- to make a profit that we will send back to Dhaka Weaves, which will then be used to educate the weavers in basic health, hygiene and investment education.
So far the customer response to the textiles has been awesome, people just love it! This is a great thing because it means that there is market opportunity. The challenge we face is, is Dhaka Weaves ready to have international buyers? Unfortunately, at this point the answer to that question is no. With no manager and no marketer Dhaka Weaves does not have the capacity to make partnerships without a middleman. Currently, we are the middlemen and our communication has been cut off! With Rita out of town (we think because her email is full), Pritiva (Rita's daughter) without email and having a baby soon, and no Internet access at Dhaka Weaves, we have not been able to communicate with them. Stacey tried to call Ratna the other day, but access is not easy and he was unable to get through. If just trying to talk is this complicated, what does that mean for business? We have to move slowly, think strategically and learn along the way. It is going to be very complicated, but it is possible!
We have not had the time to promote the products to other small companies, but with the help of Carolyn Fineran we hope to have a showing in Denver soon. The sooner we get this stuff done the better because, although we only have three classes, the work load is very time consuming and we have to complete a thesis on top of that.
We are selling the products we brought back very quickly and still working on making our money back. The good news is that if we continue to sell at the rate we are selling, we will have our investment back and make some money to send back to Dhaka Weaves. Before leaving Nepal we discussed this possibility with the board. We wanted to know where the money would go if we were able to send some back. Because of the situation with the weavers union, they thought that it would be best to spend the money to directly benefit the weavers, we agreed.
Last weekend we set up a table at the Cupboard and were very successful! We will continue to set up tables to sell whenever and wherever we get the opportunity. While at the Cupboard we had several valuable conversations that gave us insight into what customers think about the product. Customers also gave us ideas on where and how to continue selling Dhaka Weaves. From now on I will let you know where we will be when we plan to sell!
Throughout the semester we will continue to do follow up work for Dhaka Weaves. We will write a case study, documenting the history and evolution of Dhaka Weaves and promote the product. Again, this has been and continues to be a very valuable learning experience! We are both very thankful that we have this opportunity to learn and grow and thank you for joining us.
Stacey and I bought several Dhaka Weaves products while we were in Nepal and brought them back with us to Fort Collins, CO. We have three goals: 1- to see what the consumer response is 2- to promote the product to small companies that we believe will want to sell it and 3- to make a profit that we will send back to Dhaka Weaves, which will then be used to educate the weavers in basic health, hygiene and investment education.
So far the customer response to the textiles has been awesome, people just love it! This is a great thing because it means that there is market opportunity. The challenge we face is, is Dhaka Weaves ready to have international buyers? Unfortunately, at this point the answer to that question is no. With no manager and no marketer Dhaka Weaves does not have the capacity to make partnerships without a middleman. Currently, we are the middlemen and our communication has been cut off! With Rita out of town (we think because her email is full), Pritiva (Rita's daughter) without email and having a baby soon, and no Internet access at Dhaka Weaves, we have not been able to communicate with them. Stacey tried to call Ratna the other day, but access is not easy and he was unable to get through. If just trying to talk is this complicated, what does that mean for business? We have to move slowly, think strategically and learn along the way. It is going to be very complicated, but it is possible!
We have not had the time to promote the products to other small companies, but with the help of Carolyn Fineran we hope to have a showing in Denver soon. The sooner we get this stuff done the better because, although we only have three classes, the work load is very time consuming and we have to complete a thesis on top of that.
We are selling the products we brought back very quickly and still working on making our money back. The good news is that if we continue to sell at the rate we are selling, we will have our investment back and make some money to send back to Dhaka Weaves. Before leaving Nepal we discussed this possibility with the board. We wanted to know where the money would go if we were able to send some back. Because of the situation with the weavers union, they thought that it would be best to spend the money to directly benefit the weavers, we agreed.
Last weekend we set up a table at the Cupboard and were very successful! We will continue to set up tables to sell whenever and wherever we get the opportunity. While at the Cupboard we had several valuable conversations that gave us insight into what customers think about the product. Customers also gave us ideas on where and how to continue selling Dhaka Weaves. From now on I will let you know where we will be when we plan to sell!
Throughout the semester we will continue to do follow up work for Dhaka Weaves. We will write a case study, documenting the history and evolution of Dhaka Weaves and promote the product. Again, this has been and continues to be a very valuable learning experience! We are both very thankful that we have this opportunity to learn and grow and thank you for joining us.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Leaving Nepal
Sorry it has been so long since we have informed you all of our activities. We have been so busy the last few weeks tying up loose ends and trying to get everything completed. We really need more time to accomplish all of our goals, so we will continue to work with Dhaka Weaves over the next couple of months.
We were able to help Ratna and Bindue get started on creating a coding system and documentation of their product designs. We were also able to turn in the application for Dhaka Weaves to become a member of Fair trade Group Nepal (FTGN). It will really be a monumental accomplishment when Dhaka Weaves is accepted. When FTGN was established in 1996 there were 17 founding members, to this day there are still 17 members. No other organization has been accepted, although I don't know if any have applied. Ideally Dhaka Weaves will break the club and, hopefully encourage other organizations to apply for membership. Expanding FTGN so it will have a greater impact across the country.
In Nepal, it seems that the smaller groups really struggle to get noticed, most of the FTGN organizations are huge NGO's that employ several hundred workers. Some have producer groups out in the villages where the producers do their work at home, this decreased the overhead and enables the organization to lower their costs, sell the item for a lower price and still pay a fair wage. Smaller organizations with more overhead costs, less employs and lower production struggle to keep their prices low enough for big buyers of Fair Trade. It is a situation that needs to be addressed, but the question is where to begin?
Yesterday we had a goodbye lunch with Mohini and Shyam Badan, the other two board members. It was spectacular! They are both such vibrant ladies with energy, intellect and motivation. Whenever we meet I always feel inspired and honored to have had the opportunity to work with them. Unfortunately Rita had to leave town last Monday for Delhi. Her son got very sick and it was critical for her to be with him. He is getting better, slowly, and hopefully she will be able to bring him back to Nepal with her in a weeks time. It was unfortunate that we didn't' get to say goodbye personally, but totally understandable and I am sure we will continue working with her and see her again sometime in the future. We did get to see her daughter, Pritiva, who has been a tremendous help! She worked with Dhaka Weaves as the manager and designer for 10 years, until 2000 when she got married and moved to India. She just happened to be in Kathmandu for our entire stay because she is pregnant and wants to give birth in Kathmandu, near her family and friends.
Now Stacey and I are in the Hong Kong airport gawking at the speed of the Internet and the cleanliness of the building and the bathrooms! In Kathmandu there are about 50 public toilets for a population of over 3 million people! I used one once, and never again! I is amazing how your perception of clean changes depending on where you are, where you are going and where you came from.
I am looking forward to getting back, but sad to have left. We met such great people! Most Nepalis hospitality is astonishing, they are so welcoming and friendly, making me feel completely at home. The general attitude in Nepal is to 'wait and see,' now I think that this causes several problems and so do many Nepali's, but again, what to do? When there is no government to establish and implement rules and regulations, how does one get heard and who is supposed to hear it? So, I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens...
Thanks again for all of your support. We have had a very successful and great learning experience and hope to be able to share more with all of you when we get back. We plan to keep this blog up and running while we work with Dhaka Weaves and continue with our progress.
Take care...
We were able to help Ratna and Bindue get started on creating a coding system and documentation of their product designs. We were also able to turn in the application for Dhaka Weaves to become a member of Fair trade Group Nepal (FTGN). It will really be a monumental accomplishment when Dhaka Weaves is accepted. When FTGN was established in 1996 there were 17 founding members, to this day there are still 17 members. No other organization has been accepted, although I don't know if any have applied. Ideally Dhaka Weaves will break the club and, hopefully encourage other organizations to apply for membership. Expanding FTGN so it will have a greater impact across the country.
In Nepal, it seems that the smaller groups really struggle to get noticed, most of the FTGN organizations are huge NGO's that employ several hundred workers. Some have producer groups out in the villages where the producers do their work at home, this decreased the overhead and enables the organization to lower their costs, sell the item for a lower price and still pay a fair wage. Smaller organizations with more overhead costs, less employs and lower production struggle to keep their prices low enough for big buyers of Fair Trade. It is a situation that needs to be addressed, but the question is where to begin?
Yesterday we had a goodbye lunch with Mohini and Shyam Badan, the other two board members. It was spectacular! They are both such vibrant ladies with energy, intellect and motivation. Whenever we meet I always feel inspired and honored to have had the opportunity to work with them. Unfortunately Rita had to leave town last Monday for Delhi. Her son got very sick and it was critical for her to be with him. He is getting better, slowly, and hopefully she will be able to bring him back to Nepal with her in a weeks time. It was unfortunate that we didn't' get to say goodbye personally, but totally understandable and I am sure we will continue working with her and see her again sometime in the future. We did get to see her daughter, Pritiva, who has been a tremendous help! She worked with Dhaka Weaves as the manager and designer for 10 years, until 2000 when she got married and moved to India. She just happened to be in Kathmandu for our entire stay because she is pregnant and wants to give birth in Kathmandu, near her family and friends.
Now Stacey and I are in the Hong Kong airport gawking at the speed of the Internet and the cleanliness of the building and the bathrooms! In Kathmandu there are about 50 public toilets for a population of over 3 million people! I used one once, and never again! I is amazing how your perception of clean changes depending on where you are, where you are going and where you came from.
I am looking forward to getting back, but sad to have left. We met such great people! Most Nepalis hospitality is astonishing, they are so welcoming and friendly, making me feel completely at home. The general attitude in Nepal is to 'wait and see,' now I think that this causes several problems and so do many Nepali's, but again, what to do? When there is no government to establish and implement rules and regulations, how does one get heard and who is supposed to hear it? So, I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens...
Thanks again for all of your support. We have had a very successful and great learning experience and hope to be able to share more with all of you when we get back. We plan to keep this blog up and running while we work with Dhaka Weaves and continue with our progress.
Take care...
Monday, July 28, 2008
Complete Chaos!
Things have been a bit crazy here in Kathmandu. One thing I have learned is how flexible, dedicated and resilient one must be to get anything done!
The election was in April and the president and vice president just recently elected. I can't explain what I don't fully understand, but the state of the government, or non-existing government, really effects business. When laws are always changing, which one is right? When leaders work for themselves, where does that leave the people?
There are several student unions that have been causing chaos around town for several different reasons since we have been here. The protesting used to be over the cost of the bus and taxi fares, they wanted a 50% discount!
The strike today was caused because the Vice President was sworn in in Hindi, the national language of India, not Nepal. Because the infrastructure is so basic a simple chain of men holding hands blocking traffic from all directions can cause terrible trouble, people not getting to work, not able to make money and children piled in buses not able to learn.
It is a sad state, to think that the only way people believe they can be heard is through blocking the roads and causing destruction. Just think how great this country would be if all these efforts were used in constructive ways to build the economy!
Stacey and I are dealing with it as it comes, just like the rest of the people here. We had to cancel a meeting today because of the road blocks and burning of tires. Luckily, not many people have been physically injured and we should be able to reschedule the meeting. Hopefully things will settle down so people can get back to some normalcy.
I guess only time will tell, and I am very sad to say that our time is almost running out!
The election was in April and the president and vice president just recently elected. I can't explain what I don't fully understand, but the state of the government, or non-existing government, really effects business. When laws are always changing, which one is right? When leaders work for themselves, where does that leave the people?
There are several student unions that have been causing chaos around town for several different reasons since we have been here. The protesting used to be over the cost of the bus and taxi fares, they wanted a 50% discount!
The strike today was caused because the Vice President was sworn in in Hindi, the national language of India, not Nepal. Because the infrastructure is so basic a simple chain of men holding hands blocking traffic from all directions can cause terrible trouble, people not getting to work, not able to make money and children piled in buses not able to learn.
It is a sad state, to think that the only way people believe they can be heard is through blocking the roads and causing destruction. Just think how great this country would be if all these efforts were used in constructive ways to build the economy!
Stacey and I are dealing with it as it comes, just like the rest of the people here. We had to cancel a meeting today because of the road blocks and burning of tires. Luckily, not many people have been physically injured and we should be able to reschedule the meeting. Hopefully things will settle down so people can get back to some normalcy.
I guess only time will tell, and I am very sad to say that our time is almost running out!
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Rest of the Story...Almost!
I left off telling you that we had decided to give the organization a try. It was fabulous! We had a wonderful trekking experience, hiked through the misty forests, gawked at the beautiful waterfalls, and struggled to keep ourselves free of leaches! Because it is the monsoon and the off-season, it was cloudy and cool for most of the adventure. The last morning we woke up early to the astonishing site of the Annapurna Mountain Range. This view only lasted a few minutes, until the clouds came in, but still, nothing better than a beautiful view while drinking a cup of warm tea in the mountains.
Our porter was an 18 year old girl from the northwest mountain area. She was looking forward to becoming a guide, but knew she needed to work her way up to that job and develop her English skills. She was living in the dorms provided by the company and taking English and computer classes, also provided by Three Sisters. I have to be honest, at first I felt horrible having this young girl carrying my sleeping bag and change of clothes. But as we continued our trek, I realized how much harder life would have been for her if she had not left her village or ended up with the wrong employers.
Women are put to work when they can carry a baby or mop the floor which ever comes first. They are often looked at as free labor and violent actions against women happen quite often. Lately, many girls will come to Pokhara or Kathmandu looking for jobs, they end up in the dance bars or the brothels. Even worse, some are kidnapped from the hills at a very young age and taken into India, part of the sex trade.
Three Sister’s Adventure trekking provides training and job opportunities that are fair and, now, respectable. If the girl doesn’t want to become a guide or porter, she can still take the training and use the skills learned to pass tests or for other job interviews. It is a really great organization and I highly recommend that if you ever go trekking, you contact Three Sister’s Trekking Adventures.
Now we are back in Kathmandu and realizing that we only have three weeks left! We have plenty to do before we leave and plenty to do once we return home. Rita is out of town at the moment, but we will meet with her, Ratna, Pritiva and Bindu sometime next week. This meeting is to help set up some coding systems and other systems that will be simple enough to understand and establish quickly, but good enough to work. Really, this information needs to come from them, Stacey and I are acting as support and giving recommendations. The final actions will be made and decided by the management team and the Board Members.
We are trying to close up loose ends and make sure that we have met with everyone that we need to while we are here. This has proved to be difficult because no one seems to have anyones current contact information. Most of the founding members of Dhaka Weaves have changed their phone numbers. I guess it is all about finding the right people to do the research. Pritiva is working on this for us, she said her sister knows someone who is related to someone, who just might have a few of the phone numbers. Time will tell.
Everyday we are learning, or at least trying to learn, more about Fair Trade and how it affects the producers. It is such a new movement here and it seems that everyone is still trying to understand it, especially us! We will continue to send out questionnaires via email and make appointments whenever possible, every conversation leads to something new! This work is still very exciting and challenging, and I think we are coming along quite nicely!
Please, we are open to comments and suggestions, or even just reactions! At this point, we are not even sure if anyone is reading or enjoying our experiences! If you don't feel comfortable posting to the blog, please feel free to contact me or Stacey directly! Our information is on the blog page. Thanks you...
Our porter was an 18 year old girl from the northwest mountain area. She was looking forward to becoming a guide, but knew she needed to work her way up to that job and develop her English skills. She was living in the dorms provided by the company and taking English and computer classes, also provided by Three Sisters. I have to be honest, at first I felt horrible having this young girl carrying my sleeping bag and change of clothes. But as we continued our trek, I realized how much harder life would have been for her if she had not left her village or ended up with the wrong employers.
Women are put to work when they can carry a baby or mop the floor which ever comes first. They are often looked at as free labor and violent actions against women happen quite often. Lately, many girls will come to Pokhara or Kathmandu looking for jobs, they end up in the dance bars or the brothels. Even worse, some are kidnapped from the hills at a very young age and taken into India, part of the sex trade.
Three Sister’s Adventure trekking provides training and job opportunities that are fair and, now, respectable. If the girl doesn’t want to become a guide or porter, she can still take the training and use the skills learned to pass tests or for other job interviews. It is a really great organization and I highly recommend that if you ever go trekking, you contact Three Sister’s Trekking Adventures.
Now we are back in Kathmandu and realizing that we only have three weeks left! We have plenty to do before we leave and plenty to do once we return home. Rita is out of town at the moment, but we will meet with her, Ratna, Pritiva and Bindu sometime next week. This meeting is to help set up some coding systems and other systems that will be simple enough to understand and establish quickly, but good enough to work. Really, this information needs to come from them, Stacey and I are acting as support and giving recommendations. The final actions will be made and decided by the management team and the Board Members.
We are trying to close up loose ends and make sure that we have met with everyone that we need to while we are here. This has proved to be difficult because no one seems to have anyones current contact information. Most of the founding members of Dhaka Weaves have changed their phone numbers. I guess it is all about finding the right people to do the research. Pritiva is working on this for us, she said her sister knows someone who is related to someone, who just might have a few of the phone numbers. Time will tell.
Everyday we are learning, or at least trying to learn, more about Fair Trade and how it affects the producers. It is such a new movement here and it seems that everyone is still trying to understand it, especially us! We will continue to send out questionnaires via email and make appointments whenever possible, every conversation leads to something new! This work is still very exciting and challenging, and I think we are coming along quite nicely!
Please, we are open to comments and suggestions, or even just reactions! At this point, we are not even sure if anyone is reading or enjoying our experiences! If you don't feel comfortable posting to the blog, please feel free to contact me or Stacey directly! Our information is on the blog page. Thanks you...
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Women of Nepal
I once read the quote, “to be born a daughter in Nepal is ill fate,” I was surprised, but not shocked. Knowing that women have been exploited and mistreated everywhere in the world, it only makes sense that it would be happening here as well.
Stacey and I have been given the opportunity to work with and meet some of the strongest women I have ever known or read about. They take action to improve the lives of women everywhere. These extraordinary women find bottom up solutions to support women in gaining strength and voice. This is done through the creation of job opportunity, an economic advantage and, ideally leads to an education and an improved livelihood for the women and their families.
Rita Thapa, Mohini Lama and Shyam Badan Shrestha are the three women that sit on the board of Dhaka Weaves, each run their own enterprise concurrently, their enterprises train and employ women. The Board members come from diverse backgrounds and have their own strategies, but their goal is the same; to empower women economically and politically in a country where the idea of gender equality isn’t so hip. They had, and still have, to face struggles because they are challenging social norms and ‘blowing the whistle’ on thousands of years of ill treatment.
Last week, Stacey and I took a trip to Pokhara, a beautiful city near the Annapurna mountain range. We went there for several reasons: 1. To get out of the city for a while, 2. To interview the Executive Director of a fair trade organization, Women’s Skill Development Project, Mrs. Ramkali Khadka 3. To meet Ashoka Fellow and the Program Director of Empowering Women of Nepal, Lucky K. Chhetri and 4. Maybe we would go trekking for a couple of days.
Mrs. Ramkali Khadka is a strong and independent woman, a little harder for me to follow than some of the other interviewees; still it was fascinating listening to her story and explanation of the creation of the Women’s Skill Development Project. This project was registered in 1975 and is now a not-for-profit, non-governmental-organization that is completely self-sufficient. They provide handicraft related skills training to poor, underprivileged Nepalese women so they can become self-reliant. Currently they are working with 280 women in 7 different areas, and about 80 employees work in the Pokhara compound, all women.
The business model is very interesting because much of the power lies in the hands of the producers. The producer groups decide their wages through a committee, much like the previously discussed, Kala Raksha. They produce 600 different products that are kept track of through computer systems. Women’s Skill Development Project also has many of the systems in place that we are supporting Dhaka Weaves in creating. The systems might take a while to get established, but we are planting the seed and helping Ratna and Bhindu understand why these systems are needed.
What I found most fascinating and relevant about our meeting is that Ramkali stated their orders went up dramatically after receiving the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) certification and that IFAT membership fees are based on sales. IFAT is currently the highest level of membership in fair trade, leading to international networks of buyers and sellers. This reinforced the importance of fair trade certifications for Dhaka Weaves. We are working on the papers for a Fair Trade Group Nepal (FTGN) certification and don’t plan on stopping with that. IFAT is a membership that Dhaka Weaves can use to expand into broader markets. (To find out more about this project: www.wsdp.org.np ).
The next inspirational women that we met was Lucky K. Chhetri, this was truly an honor. Several years back, in 1993, Lucky and her two sisters opened a lodge and restaurant in Pokhara, where mainly trekkers would gather before and after their journeys. After a while, the sisters began hearing more and more women complain about having problems with their all male guides. Lucky took this challenge and used it as an opportunity. She had had some experience with mountaineering in Darjeeling and knew how strong the village women in the mountain areas were. Along with her sisters, Dicky and Nicky, they set up Three Sisters Adventure Trekking, which would have all women guides and porters. They started to market the job opportunities to the women in the area and to the tourist market. At first, no one responded to the ads, but slowly women began to come, both as employees and customers.
There was a big problem though, the women who were responding to the ad for work, couldn't’t speak English and they needed Training. The sisters went to a training to learn the critical information, and then changed it around to make it fun for the women. They have trained over 600 women and employ 80 during the high seasons. At first, many people saw this as exploiting women, and the sisters had to put up with a lot of social stigmas. Now there is a large demand for women guides and there are 2 annual trainings.
We decided to give the organization a try, but I will tell you more about our adventure later.
Sorry we haven’t been in touch recently. Pokhara was a little more expensive and we were pretty busy!
Stacey and I have been given the opportunity to work with and meet some of the strongest women I have ever known or read about. They take action to improve the lives of women everywhere. These extraordinary women find bottom up solutions to support women in gaining strength and voice. This is done through the creation of job opportunity, an economic advantage and, ideally leads to an education and an improved livelihood for the women and their families.
Rita Thapa, Mohini Lama and Shyam Badan Shrestha are the three women that sit on the board of Dhaka Weaves, each run their own enterprise concurrently, their enterprises train and employ women. The Board members come from diverse backgrounds and have their own strategies, but their goal is the same; to empower women economically and politically in a country where the idea of gender equality isn’t so hip. They had, and still have, to face struggles because they are challenging social norms and ‘blowing the whistle’ on thousands of years of ill treatment.
Last week, Stacey and I took a trip to Pokhara, a beautiful city near the Annapurna mountain range. We went there for several reasons: 1. To get out of the city for a while, 2. To interview the Executive Director of a fair trade organization, Women’s Skill Development Project, Mrs. Ramkali Khadka 3. To meet Ashoka Fellow and the Program Director of Empowering Women of Nepal, Lucky K. Chhetri and 4. Maybe we would go trekking for a couple of days.
Mrs. Ramkali Khadka is a strong and independent woman, a little harder for me to follow than some of the other interviewees; still it was fascinating listening to her story and explanation of the creation of the Women’s Skill Development Project. This project was registered in 1975 and is now a not-for-profit, non-governmental-organization that is completely self-sufficient. They provide handicraft related skills training to poor, underprivileged Nepalese women so they can become self-reliant. Currently they are working with 280 women in 7 different areas, and about 80 employees work in the Pokhara compound, all women.
The business model is very interesting because much of the power lies in the hands of the producers. The producer groups decide their wages through a committee, much like the previously discussed, Kala Raksha. They produce 600 different products that are kept track of through computer systems. Women’s Skill Development Project also has many of the systems in place that we are supporting Dhaka Weaves in creating. The systems might take a while to get established, but we are planting the seed and helping Ratna and Bhindu understand why these systems are needed.
What I found most fascinating and relevant about our meeting is that Ramkali stated their orders went up dramatically after receiving the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) certification and that IFAT membership fees are based on sales. IFAT is currently the highest level of membership in fair trade, leading to international networks of buyers and sellers. This reinforced the importance of fair trade certifications for Dhaka Weaves. We are working on the papers for a Fair Trade Group Nepal (FTGN) certification and don’t plan on stopping with that. IFAT is a membership that Dhaka Weaves can use to expand into broader markets. (To find out more about this project: www.wsdp.org.np ).
The next inspirational women that we met was Lucky K. Chhetri, this was truly an honor. Several years back, in 1993, Lucky and her two sisters opened a lodge and restaurant in Pokhara, where mainly trekkers would gather before and after their journeys. After a while, the sisters began hearing more and more women complain about having problems with their all male guides. Lucky took this challenge and used it as an opportunity. She had had some experience with mountaineering in Darjeeling and knew how strong the village women in the mountain areas were. Along with her sisters, Dicky and Nicky, they set up Three Sisters Adventure Trekking, which would have all women guides and porters. They started to market the job opportunities to the women in the area and to the tourist market. At first, no one responded to the ads, but slowly women began to come, both as employees and customers.
There was a big problem though, the women who were responding to the ad for work, couldn't’t speak English and they needed Training. The sisters went to a training to learn the critical information, and then changed it around to make it fun for the women. They have trained over 600 women and employ 80 during the high seasons. At first, many people saw this as exploiting women, and the sisters had to put up with a lot of social stigmas. Now there is a large demand for women guides and there are 2 annual trainings.
We decided to give the organization a try, but I will tell you more about our adventure later.
Sorry we haven’t been in touch recently. Pokhara was a little more expensive and we were pretty busy!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
History, Politics and Business
In 1989 eight women entrepreneurs in Nepal who had formed an association known as WEAN – Women Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal, thought to provide training for women so that they might become entrepreneurs themselves. Twelve women who had some weaving experience were brought together to learn more about the traditional method of Dhaka weaving. However, in the initial interview of the women who would receive the training, each woman said, “Will I get a job at the conclusion?” The WEAN members had not really thought of this, their intention was to provide education not employment. The WEAN members held an emergency meeting and decided that following the training, each of them would invest some of their own money to create a production unit to preserve and promote Dhaka textile weaving. This enterprise would become Dhaka Weaves. The initial training was a great success. Today, nearly twenty years later, Dhaka Weaves produces very high quality hand woven Dhaka textiles. On average 40 weavers at a time are employed, bringing income into their families that might not be there without the opportunity provided by Dhaka Weaves.
Lindsay and I have had the pleasure of meeting the extraordinary women who had the vision, the persistence and the heart to initiate, maintain and care about Dhaka Weaves. They represent the spirit and the potential of a new Nepal. However, Nepal has had 15 different governments in the past 17 years. The Nepali Rupee is pegged to the Indian Rupee and the small struggling economy of Nepal is overwhelmed and directly affected by the high inflation experienced in the Indian economy and carries over into Nepal. Political instability had driven out most of the tourists (a major source of foreign currency), and daily life for the average Nepali has become increasingly difficult.
Writing for the Nepali Times on July 4th, 2008, Bihari K. Shrestha states:
The people are desperate for food, jobs, income, healthcare and education. They were promised these during the elections, but now that the politicians are comfortably ensconced, these issues are being ignored in the power plays. Whatever sense of collective accountability that appeared at election time has vanished into thin air.
In a letter to the editor in the July 3, 2008 Kathmandu Post, Sanu Kayastha writes:
The month of June 2008 observed 11 days as banda (strike) in the Kathmandu Valley. There were some official holidays and, of course Sundays and Saturdays too. Actually we had only 17 working days in the last month. There is no calculation as to what price the nation has to pay for these crippling bandas.
In and around these “strike” days Lindsay and I continue to meet with women entrepreneurs, leaders of various associations, and the people involved with Fair Trade who are working to increase and promote improved livelihoods for artisans. The practice of Fair Trade outlines a set of criteria and principles. We are working with Dhaka Weaves to complete an application for membership into the organization Fair Trade Group Nepal. Business in Nepal is often based on trust and relationships. Business can also be based on whom you know. In a rapidly shifting political landscape, the value of whom you know changes daily.
This is the environment business and enterprise is trying to move forward in. In spite of the difficulties, people are optimistic and patient. Challenges come in many forms and from many directions. I am inspired each day by the spirit and the potential of the women we are collaborating with. In order to move Dhaka Weaves onto solid ground, we are proposing a set of business systems and practices adapted to meet Dhaka Weaves specific needs. Day by day we are learning and sharing. Thanks again to each of you for your support and suggestions. Do you need some Dhaka?
Lindsay and I have had the pleasure of meeting the extraordinary women who had the vision, the persistence and the heart to initiate, maintain and care about Dhaka Weaves. They represent the spirit and the potential of a new Nepal. However, Nepal has had 15 different governments in the past 17 years. The Nepali Rupee is pegged to the Indian Rupee and the small struggling economy of Nepal is overwhelmed and directly affected by the high inflation experienced in the Indian economy and carries over into Nepal. Political instability had driven out most of the tourists (a major source of foreign currency), and daily life for the average Nepali has become increasingly difficult.
Writing for the Nepali Times on July 4th, 2008, Bihari K. Shrestha states:
The people are desperate for food, jobs, income, healthcare and education. They were promised these during the elections, but now that the politicians are comfortably ensconced, these issues are being ignored in the power plays. Whatever sense of collective accountability that appeared at election time has vanished into thin air.
In a letter to the editor in the July 3, 2008 Kathmandu Post, Sanu Kayastha writes:
The month of June 2008 observed 11 days as banda (strike) in the Kathmandu Valley. There were some official holidays and, of course Sundays and Saturdays too. Actually we had only 17 working days in the last month. There is no calculation as to what price the nation has to pay for these crippling bandas.
In and around these “strike” days Lindsay and I continue to meet with women entrepreneurs, leaders of various associations, and the people involved with Fair Trade who are working to increase and promote improved livelihoods for artisans. The practice of Fair Trade outlines a set of criteria and principles. We are working with Dhaka Weaves to complete an application for membership into the organization Fair Trade Group Nepal. Business in Nepal is often based on trust and relationships. Business can also be based on whom you know. In a rapidly shifting political landscape, the value of whom you know changes daily.
This is the environment business and enterprise is trying to move forward in. In spite of the difficulties, people are optimistic and patient. Challenges come in many forms and from many directions. I am inspired each day by the spirit and the potential of the women we are collaborating with. In order to move Dhaka Weaves onto solid ground, we are proposing a set of business systems and practices adapted to meet Dhaka Weaves specific needs. Day by day we are learning and sharing. Thanks again to each of you for your support and suggestions. Do you need some Dhaka?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Continued Learning
Sorry it has been a while since we have been able to blog. Every time I feel I understand something, something happens that reminds me that I surely don't know the whole story!
Gas lines are still crazy and the cost of fuel is about $7.50 USD per gallon! I don't know how people continue to drive. Strike after strike is occurring, I don't think the people realize the effects on the economy. A Band (strike) day means no school, little work for many, and less goods coming in from India....so higher prices.
On the business side of things we have been learning quite a bit and have had two very informational meetings with two of the three members and founders of Dhaka Weaves. Their information has been very helpful for understanding the full picture of Dhaka Weaves. We have also been discussing management, pricing, ordering, and other business systems that need to be in place with Ratna, Bindu and others involved with Dhaka Weaves.
I now have to get going because the email place is closing. I will try to get more pictures up and please, any recommendations or suggestions are welcomed!
Thanks for keeping up with us!
Gas lines are still crazy and the cost of fuel is about $7.50 USD per gallon! I don't know how people continue to drive. Strike after strike is occurring, I don't think the people realize the effects on the economy. A Band (strike) day means no school, little work for many, and less goods coming in from India....so higher prices.
On the business side of things we have been learning quite a bit and have had two very informational meetings with two of the three members and founders of Dhaka Weaves. Their information has been very helpful for understanding the full picture of Dhaka Weaves. We have also been discussing management, pricing, ordering, and other business systems that need to be in place with Ratna, Bindu and others involved with Dhaka Weaves.
I now have to get going because the email place is closing. I will try to get more pictures up and please, any recommendations or suggestions are welcomed!
Thanks for keeping up with us!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Life
Every day we do quite a bit of work, but everything just takes so much longer! We got a cell phone over a week ago because we thought it would help us get in touch with Rita, Ratna and other individuals that we want to meet up with. What a joke! Just trying to figure out what numbers to push before the actual phone number begins was a challenge. Every time we tried to make a call the network was busy and the phone wouldn't ring. I asked Ratna about it, his reply was the network! This continued for two days then Stacey said, oh, you have to dial a 0 first when calling a mobile phone. Thanks to Martha Denny and the Office of International Programs for making us conduct a logistical review, without it we would still be making invalid phone calls. Even with the 0, it is practically impossible to call from mobile to mobile, the network is always busy. Now we know why people play around so much with their phones, its because they can't make a call with it so they might as well use it for something else, like music. For example, the couple sitting at the table behind us yesterday started playing techno in the middle of the restaurant.
We have been very lucky with the power cuts, always somewhere that has a generator or outside and unaffected. Last night the power went out,so dinner was by candle light and so was the rest of the night. Luckily it was cool enough from the rain so we didn't need the fans.
We live on the third floor of the house and I have had no complaints, until last night. The landlord decided to use a generator that is conveniently located right outside our front door. It is horribly loud and the room was practically vibrating along with it. Now, this wouldn't have been so bad if we could get light or hot water for it, but that is not the case. Instead, we had candle lit cold showers to the vibrating of the generator! I am used to the cold showers now, usually they feel quite refreshing, but last night it seemed extra cold probably because of the weather.
For about the last week the trash has been piling up on the streets. It is pretty disturbing to see the volume of trash that is created each day. The village where the landfills are wants money for two of its schools. They are blocking the garbage trucks from dumping, which means the trucks can't pick any more up. I haven't been able to find any news about this in the Kathmandu Post, but some kind of deal was made because the piles are slowly disappearing, taking with them the horrid odor of rotting everything.
We are also experiencing the start of the monsoon. It has been raining for the last 24hours, which is probably nothing compared what we will experience and some of the pictures I have seen. We went out yesterday for some site seeing and when it started to rain the streets cleared, making it much easier to get to where we were going. I initially thought the rain would clear the streets of mud and grime, but really it makes it worse. Ah the things you learn.
Despite all the situations I have written about, life for us is great here. The people are wonderful, the food is great and we have our health. It just helps remind me how much I take for granted. We have a lot to be thankful for and are both, again, very happy to be here.
We have been very lucky with the power cuts, always somewhere that has a generator or outside and unaffected. Last night the power went out,so dinner was by candle light and so was the rest of the night. Luckily it was cool enough from the rain so we didn't need the fans.
We live on the third floor of the house and I have had no complaints, until last night. The landlord decided to use a generator that is conveniently located right outside our front door. It is horribly loud and the room was practically vibrating along with it. Now, this wouldn't have been so bad if we could get light or hot water for it, but that is not the case. Instead, we had candle lit cold showers to the vibrating of the generator! I am used to the cold showers now, usually they feel quite refreshing, but last night it seemed extra cold probably because of the weather.
For about the last week the trash has been piling up on the streets. It is pretty disturbing to see the volume of trash that is created each day. The village where the landfills are wants money for two of its schools. They are blocking the garbage trucks from dumping, which means the trucks can't pick any more up. I haven't been able to find any news about this in the Kathmandu Post, but some kind of deal was made because the piles are slowly disappearing, taking with them the horrid odor of rotting everything.
We are also experiencing the start of the monsoon. It has been raining for the last 24hours, which is probably nothing compared what we will experience and some of the pictures I have seen. We went out yesterday for some site seeing and when it started to rain the streets cleared, making it much easier to get to where we were going. I initially thought the rain would clear the streets of mud and grime, but really it makes it worse. Ah the things you learn.
Despite all the situations I have written about, life for us is great here. The people are wonderful, the food is great and we have our health. It just helps remind me how much I take for granted. We have a lot to be thankful for and are both, again, very happy to be here.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Learning, Working and Living
I have really learned a lot since leaving DIA only three weeks ago. Our time in India seems like forever ago, yet it was less than two weeks when we left. Nepal is a great, not as hot or slow as India: overall, life and health are good.
I guess you could say we are in the data collection stage of our work. We have been spending more time at Dhaka Weaves, talking with Ratna, the bookkeeper and watching the weavers. It is unfortunate that we don’t speak Nepali, but we do plan to get a translator so we can communicate and interview with the weavers.
Dhaka Weaves hired Ratna when he was a teen to be the floor sweeper; he has been there ever since. After getting high marks in school, he went on to be the accountant at Dhaka Weaves. Now, with Rita and Pritiva both busy with other things, he is the man in charge. It is wonderful watching his eyes light up when he talks about the organization.
We have also been walking around town identifying Dhaka Weaves competitors and potential partners; there sure are lots of weavers out here! The problem is that the price of Dhaka Weaves products is higher than the other products on the market. The quality is much better, but I am afraid that it doesn’t much matter here. Yesterday we spoke with Sunil Chitrakar, the Executive Director of Mahaguthi, a fair trade craft store, and he mentioned that the development agencies kind of messed with the market. They created a training workshop to train people to weave and took this workshop across the country, teaching weaving skills to those who normally or historically wouldn’t weave. Each tribe has a trade, or a craft skill, some are painters, some weavers and some leather workers, etc. Now there are too many weavers and not a very big market. This forces people to ‘dump’ their woven goods into the black market and the price goes down dramatically, sometimes even lower than cost. This creates a nice challenge for us.
Sunil was the founding member of Fair Trade Group Nepal (FTGN). We spoke to him for a couple of hours about his enterprise, experiences and history. It was really fascinating and helped me understand how the fair trade movement started here and where it is headed. It might not be in the best interests of Dhaka Weaves to get certified at the time. Though they are definitely fair trade, the membership costs money and, more importantly, takes time. When an organization becomes a member of FTGN, they must pay for, set up and organize the trainings that are developed. This would take time, energy and money that Dhaka Weaves doesn’t have right now. We guess this means it is time to get creative with the tags and labels. If anyone has a suggestion we are open! Socially Responsible weaving anyone?
We got a phone the other day, but can’t seem to call anyone because the network is ALWAYS busy, go figure. We have been trying to get in touch with Rita for the last couple of days so we can move forward. We have a list of proposals and several ideas, but we need confirmation first. It will be interesting to see how we finally get a hold of her. We have called and stopped by her office several time, that woman is just too popular and sits on too many boards!! If we can’t call her today we decided that we will stop by her house this evening. Wish us luck…So things on the business side are moving forward. Everyday we learn more and more, soon we will start taking action.
The social aspects of life are also going well, our apartment is comfortable, close to the center of town and above the best bakery. One thing that I have learned is that if anything goes wrong in this country, they have a strike and close a road. It is very interesting and nothing seems to come out of it, but they have been doing it for years. There have been three that I know of since our arrival. One, a taxi driver was robbed and killed so most taxis and public buses had a strike the following day. Two, four people were killed in two days on the same part of a road so the friends and relatives of the deceased had a strike and blocked the road. Three, villagers where a landfill is located near Kathmandu want money for their schools, so they are having a strike, blocking the garbage trucks from entering. All said, life for us is not affected by these strikes, in fact we wouldn’t even know about them if we didn’t read the newspaper!
I guess you could say we are in the data collection stage of our work. We have been spending more time at Dhaka Weaves, talking with Ratna, the bookkeeper and watching the weavers. It is unfortunate that we don’t speak Nepali, but we do plan to get a translator so we can communicate and interview with the weavers.
Dhaka Weaves hired Ratna when he was a teen to be the floor sweeper; he has been there ever since. After getting high marks in school, he went on to be the accountant at Dhaka Weaves. Now, with Rita and Pritiva both busy with other things, he is the man in charge. It is wonderful watching his eyes light up when he talks about the organization.
We have also been walking around town identifying Dhaka Weaves competitors and potential partners; there sure are lots of weavers out here! The problem is that the price of Dhaka Weaves products is higher than the other products on the market. The quality is much better, but I am afraid that it doesn’t much matter here. Yesterday we spoke with Sunil Chitrakar, the Executive Director of Mahaguthi, a fair trade craft store, and he mentioned that the development agencies kind of messed with the market. They created a training workshop to train people to weave and took this workshop across the country, teaching weaving skills to those who normally or historically wouldn’t weave. Each tribe has a trade, or a craft skill, some are painters, some weavers and some leather workers, etc. Now there are too many weavers and not a very big market. This forces people to ‘dump’ their woven goods into the black market and the price goes down dramatically, sometimes even lower than cost. This creates a nice challenge for us.
Sunil was the founding member of Fair Trade Group Nepal (FTGN). We spoke to him for a couple of hours about his enterprise, experiences and history. It was really fascinating and helped me understand how the fair trade movement started here and where it is headed. It might not be in the best interests of Dhaka Weaves to get certified at the time. Though they are definitely fair trade, the membership costs money and, more importantly, takes time. When an organization becomes a member of FTGN, they must pay for, set up and organize the trainings that are developed. This would take time, energy and money that Dhaka Weaves doesn’t have right now. We guess this means it is time to get creative with the tags and labels. If anyone has a suggestion we are open! Socially Responsible weaving anyone?
We got a phone the other day, but can’t seem to call anyone because the network is ALWAYS busy, go figure. We have been trying to get in touch with Rita for the last couple of days so we can move forward. We have a list of proposals and several ideas, but we need confirmation first. It will be interesting to see how we finally get a hold of her. We have called and stopped by her office several time, that woman is just too popular and sits on too many boards!! If we can’t call her today we decided that we will stop by her house this evening. Wish us luck…So things on the business side are moving forward. Everyday we learn more and more, soon we will start taking action.
The social aspects of life are also going well, our apartment is comfortable, close to the center of town and above the best bakery. One thing that I have learned is that if anything goes wrong in this country, they have a strike and close a road. It is very interesting and nothing seems to come out of it, but they have been doing it for years. There have been three that I know of since our arrival. One, a taxi driver was robbed and killed so most taxis and public buses had a strike the following day. Two, four people were killed in two days on the same part of a road so the friends and relatives of the deceased had a strike and blocked the road. Three, villagers where a landfill is located near Kathmandu want money for their schools, so they are having a strike, blocking the garbage trucks from entering. All said, life for us is not affected by these strikes, in fact we wouldn’t even know about them if we didn’t read the newspaper!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Walking to Dhaka Weaves
June 11, 2008
Today we thought we should try to walk out to Dhaka Weaves. We had just driven there on Monday with Prativa, Rita Thapa’s daughter, so we should be able to find it easily enough. Well, we took a wrong turn within our own neighborhood. We knew as long as we went downhill we would eventually find ourselves at a spot we could recognize. This did happen but it took us 2.5 hours to get to Dhaka Weaves. We needed to be on the ring road and then on the one “highway” that actually goes out of Kathmandu and all the way to India. It was a spectacular traffic jam. The road is barely two-lanes wide. Big trucks, buses of all sizes shapes and forms, personal cars, motorcycles, bicycles, cows and stray dogs compete for the lanes and shoulders. Add Stacey and Lindsay walking along and you get the picture! Nepal is dependent on trade with India for most items but absolutely dependent for fuels and many other basic commodities.
Our intention was to spend some time with Ratna, the bookkeeper (?). By the time we arrived, Ratna showed us to our office and then he told us he had to leave in 15 minutes. We had packed a sort of picnic, so we had a cup of tea and ate our lunch. We took the opportunity to walk through the building and take a few close-up pictures of the weavers working hands. Until you really see and understand the weaving process it may be difficult to appreciate the time, attention and true art of the craft. Without much else we could do we decided to walk back to town.
The return trip should be easier - we thought maybe 1.5 hours. Well, we found our way, no wrong turns but a few corners and turns that required a toss of a coin and we were home. It took us 2 hours. So perhaps it is further away than we realize. There is not a straight road in town and as they subtly curve you are never quite sure where you are or where you are going. That provides a nice opportunity for discovery. We will return tomorrow – of course we will walk. Why take the bus and spend even longer sitting in a logjam of traffic?
After arriving home we figured we should go try to find an Internet café. Well we did better. We found the Higher Ground coffee shop. They have wireless access. We will take our computers there tomorrow and see it the dream is a reality.
Thanks for keeping up with us. Thanks for your thoughts and support. This is a great city, a great opportunity and Lindsay and I are really glad to be here.
Today we thought we should try to walk out to Dhaka Weaves. We had just driven there on Monday with Prativa, Rita Thapa’s daughter, so we should be able to find it easily enough. Well, we took a wrong turn within our own neighborhood. We knew as long as we went downhill we would eventually find ourselves at a spot we could recognize. This did happen but it took us 2.5 hours to get to Dhaka Weaves. We needed to be on the ring road and then on the one “highway” that actually goes out of Kathmandu and all the way to India. It was a spectacular traffic jam. The road is barely two-lanes wide. Big trucks, buses of all sizes shapes and forms, personal cars, motorcycles, bicycles, cows and stray dogs compete for the lanes and shoulders. Add Stacey and Lindsay walking along and you get the picture! Nepal is dependent on trade with India for most items but absolutely dependent for fuels and many other basic commodities.
Our intention was to spend some time with Ratna, the bookkeeper (?). By the time we arrived, Ratna showed us to our office and then he told us he had to leave in 15 minutes. We had packed a sort of picnic, so we had a cup of tea and ate our lunch. We took the opportunity to walk through the building and take a few close-up pictures of the weavers working hands. Until you really see and understand the weaving process it may be difficult to appreciate the time, attention and true art of the craft. Without much else we could do we decided to walk back to town.
The return trip should be easier - we thought maybe 1.5 hours. Well, we found our way, no wrong turns but a few corners and turns that required a toss of a coin and we were home. It took us 2 hours. So perhaps it is further away than we realize. There is not a straight road in town and as they subtly curve you are never quite sure where you are or where you are going. That provides a nice opportunity for discovery. We will return tomorrow – of course we will walk. Why take the bus and spend even longer sitting in a logjam of traffic?
After arriving home we figured we should go try to find an Internet café. Well we did better. We found the Higher Ground coffee shop. They have wireless access. We will take our computers there tomorrow and see it the dream is a reality.
Thanks for keeping up with us. Thanks for your thoughts and support. This is a great city, a great opportunity and Lindsay and I are really glad to be here.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Last Days In India June 7-10
Today is our last day in India and I must say, although it has been great here, I am ready to get out of the 110 Degree weather. The last couple of days in Bhuj were really nice and they went by quite quickly. We found Shrujan, AA Wazir and the silver stores!
When our hotel manager heard that we were interested in Shrujan and Kala Raksha, he recommended that we speak with one of his good friends, A. A. Wazir. If we would have know how much trouble this could possibly get us into, we might not have headed out on the journey. But, being unsure of who Mr. A. A. Wazir was and what information he might hold, we set off.
Mr. Wazir told us the area where we could find his house, although locating it was not an easy task considering there were five thousand other houses that could be found given the same directions. Fate, luck, or whatever you want to call it was on our side because not halfway through the mess of houses we saw a man who, I guess, saw us and this just happened to be Mr. Wazir’s son. He invited us in and we met the Wazirs, the collectors (and sellers) of museum quality textiles.
The house was full of old, antique textiles, Mr. Wazir and his sons were very knowledgeable about where each piece came from, who it was made by, and how long ago it was made, pretty amazing! First mentioning that some of the textiles were for sale and some were part of his collection, we started looking at textiles and listening to Mr. Wazir for a couple of hours. After several textiles were discussed and laid out for us to look at he told us that his son was going to start putting them away, but we could buy any that we liked. Of course we spent some money, so much that a walk to the ATM was necessary and an invitation for lunch the next day extended.
We went to lunch and saw some of the real treasures in his collection. Mr. Wazir’s collection is incredibly beautiful; I have never seen anything quite like it. I would recommend a visit to A. A. Wazir to anyone in the area of Bhuj and if you are really into embroidery a visit is a must.
We also made a trip out to Shrujan, coming unannounced I think we surprised the employees, but it was here I learned that if you sit around long enough you just might get what you want. We started by looking around the store, then Stacey explained who we were and asked if there was anyone we could speak with. There were two possibilities the Wholesale Sales Manager, who was in Mumbai and the Retail Sales Manager who would be back in an hour. So, we waited….The Retail Sales Manager got in and confirmed that it was the Wholesales Manager who we needed to speak with and that he was out of town, but still only a phone call away. Next thing we knew, Stacey was speaking with him on the phone, but he was in a meeting (?) and would call Stacey back in 15 minutes, so the waiting started again.
Now all this might have run a little smoother if we spoke a little Hindi, but we don’t so we were all confused and we waited. The call came in and it was decided that it would make more sense to send him our questions over email, but that he was happy to answer. What happened next was, in a sense, just what we were waiting for. Two business students doing an internship with Shrujan walked into the room. It was perfect, they were able to speak English, answer several of the questions we had, and give us a tour of the building. On our tour we met the founder of Shrujan who gave permission for us to see the library and the showpieces that were upstairs and out of the publics reach.
While talking with the students we learned that Shrujan does not have the business model that we thought, in fact it is a not-for-profit trust where the income generated is put back into the project. This does not make it any less amazing though; it still works with over 3000 women across 100 villages. Shrujan provides all the materials and the design and pays the women immediately on completion of each piece of embroidery. As much as possible, responsibility for production is delegated to village women called Entrepreneurs who have been trained in organizational and business skills. If the workload warrants, an Entrepreneur can delegate work to a sub-Entrepreneur. This structure ensures that at the village level, management is always evolving, with training and responsibility being passed on to younger women. It is a very interesting model, but more similar to Kala Raksha than I previously thought. We still have several questions that will hopefully be answered when we send the email to the Wholesale Sales Manager.
After visiting Mr. Wazir twice and Shrujan, we still had some time on our hands. Wondering around the streets and alleys of Bhuj we stayed entertained and kept on sweating. We got lost several times only to end up on a street we had never seen and then back at the vegetable market we knew. Everything was different depending on the time of day, so never to bore the tourist who is there at the wrong time of year.
The bus back to Ahmedabad left at 4pm, Thank God it was more pleasant than the first. The view was nice, the A/C stayed on and we got in around 11pm. We had called our hotel in advance so they would know we were coming. The trip back ran unusually smooth.
This morning we took our time to wake up and head out; we had no goal in mind, no itinerary planned. The clouds looked a little low and I was wearing white, so of course it rained, the first shower of this years monsoon.
When our hotel manager heard that we were interested in Shrujan and Kala Raksha, he recommended that we speak with one of his good friends, A. A. Wazir. If we would have know how much trouble this could possibly get us into, we might not have headed out on the journey. But, being unsure of who Mr. A. A. Wazir was and what information he might hold, we set off.
Mr. Wazir told us the area where we could find his house, although locating it was not an easy task considering there were five thousand other houses that could be found given the same directions. Fate, luck, or whatever you want to call it was on our side because not halfway through the mess of houses we saw a man who, I guess, saw us and this just happened to be Mr. Wazir’s son. He invited us in and we met the Wazirs, the collectors (and sellers) of museum quality textiles.
The house was full of old, antique textiles, Mr. Wazir and his sons were very knowledgeable about where each piece came from, who it was made by, and how long ago it was made, pretty amazing! First mentioning that some of the textiles were for sale and some were part of his collection, we started looking at textiles and listening to Mr. Wazir for a couple of hours. After several textiles were discussed and laid out for us to look at he told us that his son was going to start putting them away, but we could buy any that we liked. Of course we spent some money, so much that a walk to the ATM was necessary and an invitation for lunch the next day extended.
We went to lunch and saw some of the real treasures in his collection. Mr. Wazir’s collection is incredibly beautiful; I have never seen anything quite like it. I would recommend a visit to A. A. Wazir to anyone in the area of Bhuj and if you are really into embroidery a visit is a must.
We also made a trip out to Shrujan, coming unannounced I think we surprised the employees, but it was here I learned that if you sit around long enough you just might get what you want. We started by looking around the store, then Stacey explained who we were and asked if there was anyone we could speak with. There were two possibilities the Wholesale Sales Manager, who was in Mumbai and the Retail Sales Manager who would be back in an hour. So, we waited….The Retail Sales Manager got in and confirmed that it was the Wholesales Manager who we needed to speak with and that he was out of town, but still only a phone call away. Next thing we knew, Stacey was speaking with him on the phone, but he was in a meeting (?) and would call Stacey back in 15 minutes, so the waiting started again.
Now all this might have run a little smoother if we spoke a little Hindi, but we don’t so we were all confused and we waited. The call came in and it was decided that it would make more sense to send him our questions over email, but that he was happy to answer. What happened next was, in a sense, just what we were waiting for. Two business students doing an internship with Shrujan walked into the room. It was perfect, they were able to speak English, answer several of the questions we had, and give us a tour of the building. On our tour we met the founder of Shrujan who gave permission for us to see the library and the showpieces that were upstairs and out of the publics reach.
While talking with the students we learned that Shrujan does not have the business model that we thought, in fact it is a not-for-profit trust where the income generated is put back into the project. This does not make it any less amazing though; it still works with over 3000 women across 100 villages. Shrujan provides all the materials and the design and pays the women immediately on completion of each piece of embroidery. As much as possible, responsibility for production is delegated to village women called Entrepreneurs who have been trained in organizational and business skills. If the workload warrants, an Entrepreneur can delegate work to a sub-Entrepreneur. This structure ensures that at the village level, management is always evolving, with training and responsibility being passed on to younger women. It is a very interesting model, but more similar to Kala Raksha than I previously thought. We still have several questions that will hopefully be answered when we send the email to the Wholesale Sales Manager.
After visiting Mr. Wazir twice and Shrujan, we still had some time on our hands. Wondering around the streets and alleys of Bhuj we stayed entertained and kept on sweating. We got lost several times only to end up on a street we had never seen and then back at the vegetable market we knew. Everything was different depending on the time of day, so never to bore the tourist who is there at the wrong time of year.
The bus back to Ahmedabad left at 4pm, Thank God it was more pleasant than the first. The view was nice, the A/C stayed on and we got in around 11pm. We had called our hotel in advance so they would know we were coming. The trip back ran unusually smooth.
This morning we took our time to wake up and head out; we had no goal in mind, no itinerary planned. The clouds looked a little low and I was wearing white, so of course it rained, the first shower of this years monsoon.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Nepal- June 10, 2008
Hello Again,
I must first apologize that I haven't been able to post anything for awhile, we have been in transit and really busy with introductions in Nepal. It is really great though!
I used my laptop and wrote a summary of our last days in India, unfortunately I can't get any computer to read my flash drive, where it is saved. I will get it posted as soon as I figure out the problem. Sorry!
There is lots of good news now that we are in Kathmandu. We were met at the airport by two employees of Nagarik Aawaz, one of the organizations that Rita started after Dhaka Weaves. They brought us to the apartment and made sure that we had everything we needed, it was really nice. Stacey and I dropped our bags and walked into town. It is great, really fascinating architecture and people, it is really diverse.
Rita invited us over for dinner and it was wonderful to get to meet her, she is such a neat lady. We talked about Dhaka Weaves and her perspective of the history, lots of gaps were filled and we got the chance to get a lot of our questions answered. Everything just fell into place for us. The following day, our second day here, we met with Rita's Daughter, Pritiva, and went to Dhaka Weaves. It lays just outside of Kathmandu in a rural area that is quickly becoming developed. We spent the day in two meetings with Pritiva, learning about one of the buyers and the weavers. It was really interesting and I look forward to going back and learning more.
Ratna is the man in charge over at Dhaka Weaves and we plan to go tomorrow to speak with him about the records and the plan, it should be good.
Today we spent learning about the other organizations that Rita started, Tewa and Nagarik Aawaz. It was nice to see and learn about how the three organizations are connected to each other. We still have a lot to learn, but there are plenty of opportunities for us to help.
The plan is to learn more and then make a plan. We will spend the next couple of days doing further analysis and then make some proposals to Rita. Once we agree on exactly what we are going to do, we will get started. I am really looking forward to all of this. Dhaka Weaves has proved to be a perfect match for our program and a great opportunity for Stacey and me!
I must first apologize that I haven't been able to post anything for awhile, we have been in transit and really busy with introductions in Nepal. It is really great though!
I used my laptop and wrote a summary of our last days in India, unfortunately I can't get any computer to read my flash drive, where it is saved. I will get it posted as soon as I figure out the problem. Sorry!
There is lots of good news now that we are in Kathmandu. We were met at the airport by two employees of Nagarik Aawaz, one of the organizations that Rita started after Dhaka Weaves. They brought us to the apartment and made sure that we had everything we needed, it was really nice. Stacey and I dropped our bags and walked into town. It is great, really fascinating architecture and people, it is really diverse.
Rita invited us over for dinner and it was wonderful to get to meet her, she is such a neat lady. We talked about Dhaka Weaves and her perspective of the history, lots of gaps were filled and we got the chance to get a lot of our questions answered. Everything just fell into place for us. The following day, our second day here, we met with Rita's Daughter, Pritiva, and went to Dhaka Weaves. It lays just outside of Kathmandu in a rural area that is quickly becoming developed. We spent the day in two meetings with Pritiva, learning about one of the buyers and the weavers. It was really interesting and I look forward to going back and learning more.
Ratna is the man in charge over at Dhaka Weaves and we plan to go tomorrow to speak with him about the records and the plan, it should be good.
Today we spent learning about the other organizations that Rita started, Tewa and Nagarik Aawaz. It was nice to see and learn about how the three organizations are connected to each other. We still have a lot to learn, but there are plenty of opportunities for us to help.
The plan is to learn more and then make a plan. We will spend the next couple of days doing further analysis and then make some proposals to Rita. Once we agree on exactly what we are going to do, we will get started. I am really looking forward to all of this. Dhaka Weaves has proved to be a perfect match for our program and a great opportunity for Stacey and me!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Bhuj, May31-June4, 2008
Things here have been pretty amazing, hot, but still amazing. We have seen many interesting things and spoken to several interesting people. To put it simply, sensory overload. I will start from where Stacey last left off and fill you in.
We left you at Ahmedabad , 43 Celcius and the Calico Museum of Textiles, which was fascinating, despite the limited viewing time. Seeing some of the museums here in Bhuj really put things into perspective for me and I appreciate the dedication to the textiles and keeping the museum intact even more.
The journey to Bhuj started with a 7hour bus ride, leaving at 11:15 pm. Right. We were thinking, what the hell are we going to do until 11:00 and how are we going to stay awake? Our trusty autoriksha driver, Manu, told us not to worry, he would get us to the right bus at the right time, both crucial aspects when traveling. He picked us up at 9:30. Now, I am not sure if he thought we left at 10:15, or if he had something else to do, no matter, we were an hour early. So, we stood in the stifling heat, watched the show going on around us and waited until 10:30 when we could check into our Luxury private bus. 10:30 rolled around and we checked into the bus, received the bus number and were told to cross the street to the platform, where the bus would pull up at 11:00pm. Luckily there was a somewhat clean although the bus was luxury, there was no toilet! Those of you who know me well know what I was thinking!!!
Boarding the bus wasn’t so bad, sitting down for the first time wasn’t so bad and falling asleep for the first time wasn’t so bad, it was the rest of the ride that was horrible! Not to sound like a snob, but I really can’t imagine what the public bus ride would have been like. I am not sure if this is because it was a night bus and I was, at least expecting to sleep a little or if I would have felt the same if the journey happened during the day, either way the ride was bad: hot because the A/C was turned off after we stared moving, uncomfortable because the seats were hard and the person in front of you was lying back, bumpy because the roads are in horrible condition, and of course loud because there were babies screaming and people talking. , ect.. The great news, we made it!
Bhuj is a little bigger than either of us expected it to be, which turned out to be a good thing because we have plenty of time to walk around and observe. It is a huge center for handicrafts and we have learned quite a bit of information from our conversations with the locals. Social enterprises exist here for many reasons and take many different forms. Three of which we have spent time learning about: Kala Raksha, the rural development model, KMVS, the cooperative model, and Shurjan the business model. As of now we have not met with Shurjan because we haven’t been able to locate it, but finding it is our goal for today.
Kala Raksha has a very interesting model. They called it the social rural development model and emphasized that it was NOT a business. Kala Raksha’s mission is to keep the handicraft tradition and culture alive while supporting artisans, they want to encourage artisans to continue doing their craft work. I could talk for hours about it, but won’t bore you with all the details. The most significant aspect of Kala Raksha, from my point of view, is the design school, which Stacey and I were lucky enough to sit in on. They conduct classes for both men and women and it is a year long process. There are six courses and there is no cost other than getting yourself to and from the school. Each course covers different aspects about textiles, design and market demand. After the six courses the graduates continue to be mentors in an alumni program. Kala Raksha helps to provide a platform where men can connect to resources to help sell their products while it is the direct resource for the women. There are village committees that decide the price of the textiles considering the materials and the time put into making them. At the office there is a library of old textiles, a health and education center and a retail store. Kala Raksha really is something special.
KMVS runs on the cooperative model, their aim is to give more fair wages to the artisans. Their quality is very nice and the design and color beautiful. This group has been really responsive to market demands and they have a shop set up in the hotel across the street from us. We have spoken to the employee over there to get his opinion on matters. We are still in search of Shurjan, but hopefully will have some news on that enterprise soon.
Yesterday we went to a palace, a little beach town and a Jain Temple, absolutely incredible. The temple was made of white marble and immaculately engraved, construction started in 1984 and will be complete in 5 more years, can you imagine!
Today we are off to find the post office and be, once again, overwhelmed with the sites, smells and sounds of Bhuj. Take care and we will be in touch soon!
We left you at Ahmedabad , 43 Celcius and the Calico Museum of Textiles, which was fascinating, despite the limited viewing time. Seeing some of the museums here in Bhuj really put things into perspective for me and I appreciate the dedication to the textiles and keeping the museum intact even more.
The journey to Bhuj started with a 7hour bus ride, leaving at 11:15 pm. Right. We were thinking, what the hell are we going to do until 11:00 and how are we going to stay awake? Our trusty autoriksha driver, Manu, told us not to worry, he would get us to the right bus at the right time, both crucial aspects when traveling. He picked us up at 9:30. Now, I am not sure if he thought we left at 10:15, or if he had something else to do, no matter, we were an hour early. So, we stood in the stifling heat, watched the show going on around us and waited until 10:30 when we could check into our Luxury private bus. 10:30 rolled around and we checked into the bus, received the bus number and were told to cross the street to the platform, where the bus would pull up at 11:00pm. Luckily there was a somewhat clean although the bus was luxury, there was no toilet! Those of you who know me well know what I was thinking!!!
Boarding the bus wasn’t so bad, sitting down for the first time wasn’t so bad and falling asleep for the first time wasn’t so bad, it was the rest of the ride that was horrible! Not to sound like a snob, but I really can’t imagine what the public bus ride would have been like. I am not sure if this is because it was a night bus and I was, at least expecting to sleep a little or if I would have felt the same if the journey happened during the day, either way the ride was bad: hot because the A/C was turned off after we stared moving, uncomfortable because the seats were hard and the person in front of you was lying back, bumpy because the roads are in horrible condition, and of course loud because there were babies screaming and people talking. , ect.. The great news, we made it!
Bhuj is a little bigger than either of us expected it to be, which turned out to be a good thing because we have plenty of time to walk around and observe. It is a huge center for handicrafts and we have learned quite a bit of information from our conversations with the locals. Social enterprises exist here for many reasons and take many different forms. Three of which we have spent time learning about: Kala Raksha, the rural development model, KMVS, the cooperative model, and Shurjan the business model. As of now we have not met with Shurjan because we haven’t been able to locate it, but finding it is our goal for today.
Kala Raksha has a very interesting model. They called it the social rural development model and emphasized that it was NOT a business. Kala Raksha’s mission is to keep the handicraft tradition and culture alive while supporting artisans, they want to encourage artisans to continue doing their craft work. I could talk for hours about it, but won’t bore you with all the details. The most significant aspect of Kala Raksha, from my point of view, is the design school, which Stacey and I were lucky enough to sit in on. They conduct classes for both men and women and it is a year long process. There are six courses and there is no cost other than getting yourself to and from the school. Each course covers different aspects about textiles, design and market demand. After the six courses the graduates continue to be mentors in an alumni program. Kala Raksha helps to provide a platform where men can connect to resources to help sell their products while it is the direct resource for the women. There are village committees that decide the price of the textiles considering the materials and the time put into making them. At the office there is a library of old textiles, a health and education center and a retail store. Kala Raksha really is something special.
KMVS runs on the cooperative model, their aim is to give more fair wages to the artisans. Their quality is very nice and the design and color beautiful. This group has been really responsive to market demands and they have a shop set up in the hotel across the street from us. We have spoken to the employee over there to get his opinion on matters. We are still in search of Shurjan, but hopefully will have some news on that enterprise soon.
Yesterday we went to a palace, a little beach town and a Jain Temple, absolutely incredible. The temple was made of white marble and immaculately engraved, construction started in 1984 and will be complete in 5 more years, can you imagine!
Today we are off to find the post office and be, once again, overwhelmed with the sites, smells and sounds of Bhuj. Take care and we will be in touch soon!
Friday, May 30, 2008
43 Celcius in Ahmedabad!
Today it is a little warm here in Ahmedabad. Amazingly the streets
are still full and busy. Our purpose in coming to Ahmedabad has been
fulfilled by a visit to the Calico Museum of Textiles. At this time
of year they give one guided tour a day to the first 20 people. The
tour lasts for two hours but one could easily spend two days. The
collection is incredible. The museum is comprised of several
buildings including an old Haveli style home. The guide spins the
stories of the textiles as beautifully as the creations themelves.
Both yesterday and today we have been taken around the city by an
auto-rickshaw driver named Manu. He has been a great help and taken
us to all of the sights in Ahmedabad. We have seen the original city
walls, 500 year old stepwells, the shaking minarets of the Sidi
Bashir's Mosque, the Hathee Jain Temple and many other temples and
sights. Not bad considering the heat!
Tonight we will take an overnight bus to Bhuj. In Bhuj we will visit
Kala Raksha, a sort of handicraft cooperative and model for preserving
and sustaining the traditional styles of handicraft arts of Kutch (the
area of Gujarat Bhuj is located). It is possible that the temperature
will be higher in Bhuj. This is the hottest week of the year just
before the monsoon arrives. Our timing could not have been more
perfect.
This is a great beginning for our summer fieldwork and I look forward
to everything that will come. There is so much to learn and I am
excited about everyday and every opportunity. Thanks for traveling
along with us!
Posted by: Stacey Baumgarn
are still full and busy. Our purpose in coming to Ahmedabad has been
fulfilled by a visit to the Calico Museum of Textiles. At this time
of year they give one guided tour a day to the first 20 people. The
tour lasts for two hours but one could easily spend two days. The
collection is incredible. The museum is comprised of several
buildings including an old Haveli style home. The guide spins the
stories of the textiles as beautifully as the creations themelves.
Both yesterday and today we have been taken around the city by an
auto-rickshaw driver named Manu. He has been a great help and taken
us to all of the sights in Ahmedabad. We have seen the original city
walls, 500 year old stepwells, the shaking minarets of the Sidi
Bashir's Mosque, the Hathee Jain Temple and many other temples and
sights. Not bad considering the heat!
Tonight we will take an overnight bus to Bhuj. In Bhuj we will visit
Kala Raksha, a sort of handicraft cooperative and model for preserving
and sustaining the traditional styles of handicraft arts of Kutch (the
area of Gujarat Bhuj is located). It is possible that the temperature
will be higher in Bhuj. This is the hottest week of the year just
before the monsoon arrives. Our timing could not have been more
perfect.
This is a great beginning for our summer fieldwork and I look forward
to everything that will come. There is so much to learn and I am
excited about everyday and every opportunity. Thanks for traveling
along with us!
Posted by: Stacey Baumgarn
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Arrival in Delhi
After over 20 hours sitting on 3 different planes, we have made it to India successfully! Currently we are sitting in the Delhi domestic airport restaurant awaiting our departure to Ahmedabad, another 2 hour flight.
Things have been great so far, I caught up on much needed sleep and Stacey managed to watch a couple of movies and do a little reading. Somehow we managed to wonder our way to the restaurant where there is internet, Nescafe, and air-conditioning. I thought the internet was free until we realized to stay in the restaurant you have to spend no less than 250 Rupees, about 8 US dollars.
The connection is uncertain so I am going to keep this short...don't want to waste valuable battery if I can't post my blog.
Take care and we will be in touch soon.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Thanks to all of you who have shown your support through donations, advice and encouraging words, it really means a lot to me. Please know that Stacey and I truly appreciate it and will do our best to make a positive impact and a lasting impression.
We leave this Monday, May 26th! We have been working on this project for a full semester now and truly, it seems like a dream come true. We are actually going to fly halfway around the world to work with a group of women entrepreneurs!
On our way to Nepal we will spend 10 days in India. First, we will visit the Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad. Then we will head to Buhj, were we will visit Kala Rakasha and Shurjan. Two different, but very successful textile and handicraft business models. We want to get an idea of what other business models exist and what works best in certain circumstance. We are hoping to learn from best practices and trials.
Stacey and I will fly to Kathmandu on June 8th. Rita, who is one of the first co-founders of Dhaka Weaves and our local contact, will meet us at the airport and, from there, we will figure out what comes next. Nepal is a very different country than our own and business is done differently. It is important for us to establish relationships in order to work together to determine the next best steps for Dhaka Weaves. Several great ideas have been going through my mind, but the truth is, we don't know what this trip will really bring. However, we do know that we are working towards some goals, which include: support Dhaka Weaves expand into new markets, get fair trade certified, and create a marketing strategy for future growth.
I am sure we will also get out of the city to see the mountains and forests. This trip will be challenging and exciting and I am glad that we can take you all with us!
Now, we are busy getting ready to go. If anyone has advice for us on what to pack or what not to pack we welcome it with open arms. I will be sure to write often to share our experiences and our photos!
Thanks again for all of your support!
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