Our mission is to bring unusual, handmade, ethically sourced products to our customers in the UK and abroad whilst enabling crafts men and women in Africa and Asia to access international markets and support themselves, their families and their communities. 80% of our products are Fair-trade and handmade in Africa or Asia using natural or recycled materials. We also aim to work with individual crafts men and women in the UK to source the other 20% of products that are eco-friendly and lovingly handmade in the UK. By doing so we hope to provide you with a great selection of unusual, ethical gifts for yourself or your loved one. Here you’ll find a selection of stories from some of our producers.
Veronica has been a seamstress for ten years now. She started with a customer base who would come to her shop and request products. She joined Global Mamas in March 2007 and feels she has just the right amount of work now. Working for Global Mamas has enabled Veronica to send her four children to school and keep them healthy. She has one employee and one apprentice. She is excited that people in other parts of the world are buying and wearing her clothing. Veronica would like to expand her business and hire more employees. Her goal for the future is to buy land, build a home, and raise her children there. Veronica is one of a group of women who make our range of Fair-trade African cotton bags, purses and aprons.Global Mamas is a Fair-trade organisation in Ghana which helps more than 400 women in Ghana to improve their standards of living with dignity by promoting their traditional craft work.
Am aged 25 years old is the eldest of 4 from a very poor family. Girls from poor families rarely receive much education and are traditionally forced into working to support the family. Her local community offered her a sewing training course and she started to sell her products in the market. She, however, made very little money and was unable to adequately support the family, so was very worried. She found out about KNN from a neighbour, and joined as a home-based producer in 2005, and now she can earn $150 a month. Am says “I am so glad to work for KNNas now I can support my family, especially, my brothers and sisters, who are studying at high school. I would like to see them have bright futre.”
Mr. Chey was disabled from a landmine in Cambodia in 1987. After the injury, he returned to the countryside to live with his family as a farmer, but due to his disability, the farming was extremely hard and he was unable to support his family. Given this, he attended a training opportunity in a special rehab centre to learn sewing and tailoring and he now leads a home based group working for KNN. As a farmer he used to earn $50 per month, but now he can earn between £120 and £200. With this increased income and livelihood, his family living standard has improved greatly and he can send his children to a school.
Am and Mr. Chey both work with the KNN Cambodian Arts and Crafts that produce our gorgeous evening silk shoulder bags and scarves
KNN Producer Group Background Information: was founded in 2002 and aims to support and renovate Cambodia’s traditional arts and crafts. They provide job opportunities for poor Cambodians living in rural areas, as well as, people with disabilities. They pay a fair price for raw materials and are deeply committed to helping these talented artisans to improve their living standards.
