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Afghan Institute of Learning
Afghan Embroidery
Embroidery work is a centuries-old Afghan tradition that has influenced embroidery and pattern across Asia. Patterns vary by region. Broadly, embroidery from northern Afghanistan is distinguished by intricate, geometric patterns while khamak embroidery found in southern Afghanistan is distinguished by looser geometric and floral design. Shishadur, commonly found in Afghan embroidery, involves stitching small mirrors into the fabric. These mirrors are intended to ward away evil spirits. Traditionally, embroidery has been used to embellish everything from décor, clothing and gifts, as proud expressions of a family's ethnic heritage. The long-running instability and violence in Afghanistan, however, has affected more than people's livelihoods. This artwork is also dying out as people struggle to meet daily needs. Income generation programs like AIL's allow women to support themselves in the midst of turmoil and keep alive a tradition that has already had vast influence on art around the world.
Alma de los Andes
Alpaca Knitwear
The women of Alma de los Andes produce a line of high-quality accessories from alpaca wool, a warm, durable fiber softer than sheep's wool. Alpaca are raised by subsistence farmers in the Andes; their wool is a readily available local resource. It is hand-knit using traditional Aymara patterns to form the finished product. Capitalizing on a traditional skill allows these women to generate income without purchasing expensive equipment or modifying their lifestyles, while having a minimal impact on the environment. Profits are reinvested in the organization to pay for instructors, day care, meals, and materials. The knitting process is a social activity, enabling often-marginalized or abandoned women to gain a sense of community as well as economic security.
Artesania Sorata
Spun, Dyed, and Knit by Hand
Each piece is handcrafted from start to finish. Women use a drop spindle to turn alpaca and sheep’s wool into yarn. This is then colored with natural vegetable dyes such as herbs, walnut leaves, and the renowned red dye of the region, cochineal. The alpaca used in all Soratan knitwear is high quality—very soft and very warm. The use of natural dyes is better, not only for the environment, but also for the skin of the wearer. Artesania Sorata's success in turning age-old customs into new profits has revived the community's ancient cultural heritage, which had nearly disappeared after centuries of outside influence.
Artetropic
Environmentally Sustainable Art
ARTETROPIC artisans are environmentally conscious and use the excesses of nature to create beautiful handicrafts. Naturally renewable resources such as orange peels, banana leaves, jipi japa fibers (a wild palm found in the rainforest), and recycled paper are manipulated to make unique products that are both durable and eco-friendly. Working in coordination with its artisans, ARTETROPIC conducts periodic environmental analysis to ensure that all of its operations are oriented towards preserving the rainforest.
Artisans Association of Cambodia
Cambodian Silk
The silkworms of Cambodia are unlike those of the surrounding regions. Because of their unique diet of mulberry leaves, these silkworms produce a quality silk thread that is naturally yellow tinted. During the Khmer Rouge regime, many mulberry trees were cut down, leading to the near extinction of these worms. Now, extensive efforts are being devoted to replanting the trees and reviving the silk industry. To make silk, silkworm cocoons are boiled and separated into the outer cocoon, which produces fine silk, and the inner cocoon which produces raw silk. The main difference between the two is texture; raw silk is often considered superior because of its sturdiness. Watthan Artisans Cambodia (WAC), one of AAC's member organizations, offers a high quality four-toned raw silk scarf that we carry here at Global Goods Partners.
Asociacion de Artesanos Andinos
Traditional Weaving
The Quechua and Aymara employ ancient weaving techniques to produce textile pieces inspired by community myths and spiritual beliefs. Quechua and Aymara textiles capture their cultural history and reflect the way it has transformed over the years. Each product represents careful dedication and takes at least 15 days to complete. Following a time-intensive process passed down from generation to generation, the Quechua and Aymara shear the wool from the desired animal (alpaca, llama, or sheep), apply natural dyes, and then begin the long manual process of spinning it into yarn. This is then used to weave beautiful, warm scarves, blankets, hats, sweaters, and other cold-weather accessories.
Chocofibres
Women in Choco gather at the Chocofibres workshop to craft a variety of beautiful products out of natural materials. GGP features a collection of bags from palm tree fiber, know as Demaguarte. The collective of artisans strips the fiber from the tree bark and carefully washes the fibers in preparation for sewing. Whenever possible (not hindered by ongoing violence in the region), Chocofibres artisans buy natural dyes from indigenous groups in the jungle to paint the unique designs that adorn these eco-friendly bags.
Community Friendly Movement
Lacquered Ankudu Woodcrafts
The dye for the lacquer used by Etikoppaka's artisans is derived from various trees and plants, which are powdered and boiled to form thick lather. The concentrate is cooled, filtered, and mixed with lacquer that has been slowly heated in an open oven. The colored lacquer is then stretched, cooled, and cut into small sticks. The lacquer is now ready to be applied to a chiseled and sanded ankudu wood product, such as a toy, bowl, or bangle. Dried leaves of the mogali plant are rubbed on the surface of the wood, which spreads the color evenly and gives a glossy finish to the product.
Comunidad Winay
Ceramic Art
Ceramic art in the Andes has an ancient history; archaeologists have uncovered ceramic artifacts up to 9,000 years old. The artisans of Cochabamba still employ many of the methods used by their ancestors. The beautiful ceramic pieces created by Comunidad Wiñay artisans are also expressions of each artist's unique style and personality. Made entirely of clay, the farm animals that this artisan group is best known for are carefully designed, sculpted, and hand-painted with dedicated attention to detail. Product designs are chosen by vote at the cooperative's council meetings.
Corporacion Arte Gourd
Totumo
Totumo is a fruit found throughout Central America and the Colombian Amazon. When the fruit is ripe, a hard layer forms on the outer surface. Traditional, Colombian communities used this hard crust as water vessels and drinking cups. It also has a wide variety of medicinal and other culinary uses and has recently grown in importance for the craft sector. Once dried and cleaned, the hard outer shell of the totumo makes the fruit an ideal natural resource for use in contemporary design. The use of local raw materials ensures that not only is the group curbing their carbon footprint by sourcing locally, but they are also engaging other populations in the community, such as totumo harvesters, in their income generation activities.
El Hombre Sobre la Tierra
Mayan embroidery
For generations, Mayan women have created elaborate, brightly colored embroidery in the form of flowers, birds and other natural elements. Traditionally, this embroidery is found on Mayan clothing including: huipiles (blouses), belts and skirts. Mayan women create their own huipil designs that serve as their signatures. Today, the women of HST have adapted this traditional embroidery for use on stylish, sturdy and contemporary bags.
HST purchases Mexican-sourced materials in bulk for its artisans. One woman generally embroiders a colorful themed pattern on each bag in her home. The embroidered piece is then finished in HST’s workshop, where a group of women work together to cut, sew and press the final product. Participants in HST’s income generation sewing project contribute their artistic sensibilities to the design of each product, giving personality and a unique character to each finished piece.
Foundation for Development of Needy Communities
FDNC's most recent project, Bye Kamahono ("Something Created by the Hands" in the Lugisu language) is a comprehensive art and design center, which invites talented local artisans to train students in the production of art to sell locally and internationally. The program has created a showroom space and retail store in Mbale town. Participants use grass, bark cloth, banana fibers, natural dyes, tree leaves, sisal, and other sustainable materials to make handmade cards, wall hangings, and other art pieces. Depicting scenes of the daily life in rural Africa, the cloth batiks and greeting cards are dyed and hand-painted in vibrant hues. Women of the community paint the images using watercolors while younger students glue and assemble the greeting cards. Participants in this income generation project also receive primary healthcare and life skills training.
Friends Handicrafts
Nepalese Felting
Felt is the oldest man-made textile known, predating knit and woven cloth; in fact, archaeologists have found fragments of felt in Asia dating back to the Bronze Age. It is made by wetting layers of wool with soap and water and agitating the fibers so that they form a dense fabric. This can then be stretched into all sorts of items, including shoes, socks, bags, coats, and even shelters. Today, the art of felting is mainly found in the “Felt Belt,” which runs through Central Asia, and is a particular specialty of Nepal.
Friends International
Creative Recycling
Friends-International products are all made by parents of high-risk children. The program allows them to earn an income so that their children can go to school rather than work on the streets. Products made by Friends-International are crafted from local, recyclable materials that can be easily sourced by the producers. Friends-International favors production processes that minimize their environmental footprint, using found and recycled materials, including newspapers, comics, magazines, packaging, rice bags, tin, and sarong fabric. The bags available for purchase from the Global Goods Partners website are made from colorful newspaper comics collected from the French embassy in Cambodia. Seventy percent (70%) of their sales revenue is paid directly to the producers, while the rest is reinvested in a social fund for families to promote the long-term sustainability of the project.
Gone Rural
Lutindzi Grass Weavings
For centuries, the rural people of Swaziland have harvested the tough lutindzi grass, which grows in rocky outcrops high in the country's ancient granite mountains, to make rope and other practical items. Adding some contemporary elements to this age-old tradition, Gone Rural's craftswomen have helped to revive an authentic Swazi crafts industry, creating distinctive baskets, mats, and other woven lutindzi products. Out of the reach of grazing cattle, women collect the wiry grass after heavy rains, carefully leaving the roots in the soil to ensure the regrowth of the grass for the following year. So as not to place an unnecessary burden on local natural resources, Gone Rural uses imported dyes to color the grass, as well as a specially designed fuel-efficient wood-burning tank boiler used during the dyeing process that has reduced the use of wood by more than 150 percent compared to the traditional method. Once the grass has been colored, women work in their homes or in village groups to create plaited and woven goods, which are then brought to Gone Rural's workshop for marketing and sale in Swaziland and abroad.
Clay Pots and Vessels
Once used for everyday purposes such as brewing beer or storing grain, traditional Swazi clay pots are now used predominantly for special ceremonies, or are sold as cultural artifacts. Despite the dwindling market for clay pots, a handful of master potters working near the capital city of Mbabne are keeping the tradition alive and teaching a new generation of potters. Swazi clay pots are made by coiling "fingers" of prepared clay around and on top of each other, then pinching them together into the shape of the vessel. This process is unusual, as no potter's wheel is used. When the vessel is nearly dry, it is burnished with a pebble to give the surface a polished look. It is then fired in an open fire on the ground for two to three hours. One woman can make more than 150 pots a month, earning three times the monthly wage recommended by the Swazi government for employed craftsmen.
Gulu la anthu Oluka and Partners in Health
Malawian Knitwear
Each knit or crocheted item is handcrafted by a woman from the Gulu la anthu Oluka cooperative in Neno, Malawi. Knitting and crocheting are practical activities for women in the group because they can be done around other household responsibilities, such as cooking and caring for children. The items produced by the group are made from a soft, machine-washable yarn purchased at a market four hours away from Neno. The yarn is then distributed to the women, who transform it into vibrant children's accessories.
Ikamva Labantu
Dolls
During her long years as an anti-Apartheid activist, Ikamva Labantu founder Helen Lieberman often found herself looking for toys to keep the children of those present at meetings quiet so as not to draw the attention of police. In her search for dolls, Lieberman discovered that the only decent dolls produced in South Africa at the time had white skin. Recognizing the importance that children have dolls that look like them, she often stated that when Apartheid ended, she would find a way to produce beautiful and proud black dolls. Indeed, when Apartheid ended, Lieberman was approached by a woman in one of the communities in which she had worked who offered to help her start production. She jumped at the chance to encourage social justice while providing young children with a sense of self, and the organization quickly blossomed into a business that provides jobs and training for community members to produce a number of dolls and stuffed toy representations of African animals made from traditional Africa print fabric.
Jana Jagaran
Woven jute bags
Jute is the second most commonly used natural fiber—after cotton. In the United States, jute is perhaps most widely known as the material from which burlap is made. The plant grows predominantly in India and several other Southeast Asia countries. Artisans soak the plant’s stalks in running water, stripping off the outer layers and pulling out the fibers for weaving. Jute cloth has historically been an integral part of daily life in many parts of India, as villagers often sew clothing and make utilitarian items from the fabric. Jana Jagaran artisans modernize the traditional art form by sewing the cloth into contemporary bags and other products.
Kachin Women's Association Thailand
Kachin Weaving and Textiles
Kachin weaving and textile making is a centuries old craft. Patterns and styles differ widely across Burmese ethnic groups. Kachin cloth stands out with its bright flowery and checked designs and silver and gold thread embroidery. These styles are embodied in the miniature dolls made by Refugee women along the Thai-Burmese border and sold by GGP. Each doll's body is made from tightly wound thread; the clothes are hand-woven with traditional Burmese cloth; and the faces are hand-painted. Through teaching Kachin women the skills to make these dolls and other crafts, KWAT works to preserve the culture of an exiled people while empowering women to take control of their lives.
Kandahar Treasure
Afghan Embroidery
Women from Southern Afghanistan practice a rare form of embroidery with silk thread, Khamak (pronounced kha-mahk), an intricate art that involves counting the threads of fabric weave rather than drawing and copying patterns. This technique, inspired by Islamic geometric design and floral motif, is thought to be at the root of a number of embroidery techniques throughout South Asia and the Middle East. Due to the longstanding war, it is also an art form at risk of extinction. Traditionally Khamak was used to decorate the shawls of Southern Afghan men, table linens, and women's head-coverings. Today, the women of Kandahar Treasure build on these traditional motifs while creating new designs. They produce Khamak today as a vital source of income; a way of preserving a dying traditional art; and an opportunity to escape the stress of daily life and focus on creativity and beauty.
Kiej de los Bosques
Mayan Weaving
Although synthetic dyes and fibers are often less expensive, many rural groups in Guatemala remain linked to their ancestors through the practice of traditional methods of textile production. Artisans use natural dyes to color yarn and cloth. Native plants such as achiote (rusty reds), indigo (blues) and pericon (yellows and oranges) are either harvested and ground or purchased pre-prepared at local markets. Dyes are then fixed with the liquid found inside banana tree stalks. The gently-colored textiles are woven on foot or back-strap looms. Looms operated by foot pedals were introduced to the Maya by the Spanish in the 15th century, but never fully displaced the indigenous back-strap loom. The artisans of Kiej use both types to produce loose, gauzy weaves perfect for the warm climate.
Lahu Women's Organization
Traditional Lahu Garment Weaving
Lahu women have long been recognized as expert weavers. Adept at working on both traditional back strap and foot treadle looms, Lahu women hand-weave delicate patchwork trims and unusual embroidery work. Lahu weaving is unique in that the pattern appears on only one side of the cloth. Also, each Lahu tribe follows a distinct style of weaving.
Maasai Women Development Organisation
Maasai bead work
Among Westerners, the Maasai are often known for their incredibly elaborate and vibrantly colorful beaded jewelry and ornaments. Beadwork is an age-old tradition for the Maasai, with beads traditionally being made out of natural materials like skins, bone, seeds, wood and gourds. Different colors often symbolize different life elements in their culture and society.[1] MWEDO artisans now obtain their materials from modernized sources, but they still maintain the traditional symbolism of the beadwork art form.
[1] Maasai Education, “Maasai Beadwork and Jewelry,” [http://www.maasaieducation.org/maasai-culture/maasai-beadwork-jewelry.htm].
Manuela Ramos
The women of Manuela Ramos draw inspiration for their craft from their ancient Andean culture and traditions. Each artisan has been trained by their families to knit high-quality, intricately designed textiles, including scarves, ponchos, woolen hats, gloves and toys. Each item is hand-knit from 100 percent locally-sourced alpaca fiber or cotton.
The tradition of alpaca weaving dates back many centuries. Inca royalty wore intricately woven alpaca robes, and the warm, durable fiber has shielded many Peruvian farmers from extreme mountain temperatures. Alpaca wool is also known for its soft hand and stain resistant properties. Since the fleece of the alpaca does not have many of the natural oils found on other animals, it is less “itchy,” less likely to pick up dirt and stains and is often hypo-allergenic.
Melati 12
Recycled Plactis Bags
In an effort to reduce waste and promote environmental sustainability, the women of Melati 12 collect plastic coffee sachets and detergent packets to weave bright and colorful bags and accessories. By washing, cutting, sewing, embroidering and weaving, the women turn what would otherwise be trash into beautiful new designs.
Niyishi Tribal Cooperative
A Truly Natural Jewelry
Tribal women from the mountainous Himalayan region of India handcraft all of the pieces in this jewelry collection. Each bead is made by drying and carving tree resin, polishing the beads individually to achieve a variety of textures, from smooth and shiny to rough and wooden. Tree resins are a renewal resource and an environmentally sound alternative to wood. The women carve the resin and infusing the designs with white pigment to achieve the patterns on some of the beads.
Opitagua
Seed Jewelry
Tagua is the ivory-like nut from a species of palm native to parts of Central and South America. The tagua nut contains a very hard, white seed increasingly used as an alternative to elephant ivory. When dry, the white seed can be carved in the same manner as elephant ivory, making it a socially conscious substitute for ivory figurines, jewelry and beads. The seeds are generally picked up from the ground after they have naturally fallen from the palms and after animals have harvested on the edible outer layer. The seeds are sanded, drilled, polished and assembled into contemporary accessories. The artisans work together to craft each bracelet, necklace, or pair of earrings in the Opitagua workshop.
Pampa Brava
Chaguar Textiles
For centuries, Wichi women have used the strong fibers of the chaguar-a native forest plant resembling the yucca-to weave nets, bags, hammocks, jewelry, and other textile objects. They collect the plant, cut it with sharply pointed sticks, peal the leaves to separate the fiber, and spin the fiber to create a very strong yarn. They then dye the yarn using natural pigments extracted from roots, bark, leaves, and fruit. Traditional Wichi textile design uses ancestral symbols and patterns, reflecting cultural values and a deep relationship to nature and the environment.
Silver Jewelry
The Mapuche create replicas of ancestral silver jewelry, using techniques that have been passed down for centuries. Though appropriate for contemporary style, Mapuche jewelry pieces represent an ancient culture, charged with cosmic and sacred meaning still present in Argentine life today. Traditionally, the Mapuche believed that silver was derived from the moon and therefore sacred, making it useful to protect against evil and to bring good luck. The rattling of small dangling silver pieces was thought to enhance a woman's power and beauty. By continuing their age-old custom of making silver jewelry, Mapuche artisans are working to connect the past to the present, while maintaining the spiritual significance of their work.
Piel Acida
Tagua is the seed from the ivory-nut palm tree found in the South American rainforest. The smooth seed, also known as vegetable ivory, is found inside the large woody, burr-like fruit of the palm tree. Each fruit contains between 20-25 seeds. Once the tagua is removed, it is dried and the brown outer skin is removed, leaving a smooth white exterior that is similar to natural ivory. The seed is then polished and carved into intricate arts and crafts, including beads, jewelry, figurines, and even buttons. For the jewelry and accessories sold by GGP, the final step involves painting the tagua with natural dyes in dark, rich hues. Tagua has been recognized around the world as a renewable resource whose use promotes environmental conservation. In South America tagua harvesting provides a sustainable alternative to slash and burn agriculture, the leading cause of rainforest destruction. Across the ocean in Africa, the use of tagua as an ivory substitute has helped to save a shrinking population of elephants from being killed for their tusks.
Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy
The Papier Mâché Craft in Punjab
The art of papier mâché, a prevalent household craft in the villages of Punjab, originated in Persia, and was introduced to Kashmir in the 15th century, where it was adapted. The Kashmiri method, passed on to Punjab, involves first forming a pulp of soaked recycled paper with other recycled materials like cloth, rice, and straw. This pulp is left to dry in a mold for a few days, coated with lacquer, and then painted with intricate designs. Traditional designs, like those on PODA products, include flowers and Arabesque patterns, using silver, gold and red paint. Each woman spends between 7 and 10 days to create each item.
Rann Kala
Batik textiles
Batik is a traditional method of printing complex patterns onto textiles. Like the more commonly known tie-dye technique, batik involves “resisting” the spread of dye onto other parts of the cloth by spreading a layer of wax onto the fabric by hand. Once wax has been spread across the negative space, artisans apply a layer of ink to the entire fabric, which permeates only where there is no wax. The artisan then washes the wax off the fabric and repeats the process.
This type of dying is an age-old art form in western India. Rann Kala’s artisans are able to create intricate and beautiful designs using this traditional challenging technique.
Silk and Pepper
Cambodian Silk
Cambodian silkworms are unlike any of those from neighboring regions. A unique diet of mulberry leaves allows them to produce a quality silk that is supple to the touch. Each Silk and Pepper accessory starts with silk produced from these unique creatures. Skilled artisans dye and weave the silk fibers on handlooms, paying attention to every detail.
Streetwires
Zulu Wire Art
Wire art involves crafting art out of wire, beads, tin cans, and other found recycled items. While the origin of this traditional craft is not known, most likely, it developed in Maputoland and Zululand in rural Northern Kwazulu-Natal, in the northeast corner of South Africa. Lacking the resources to buy manufactured toys, young boys in these regions fashioned their own out of discarded hangers, tin cans, and whatever else they could find. In villages and townships today, one can see boys playing with model cars they made entirely from discarded materials. Recognizing children's ingenuity, older community members began making their own wire arts to sell to tourists-everything from jewelry to working radios. Today, ‘wiremasters' sell their creations not only on street corners and at craft markets, but also in upmarket shops and galleries around the world. Streetwires' wire art lends itself readily to being branded, thereby increasing the appeal of these products for promotional purposes and corporate gifts, an area that Streetwires has pioneered.
Sumaq Qara
Peruvian embroidery and weaving are often regarded as some of the most intricate and best quality in the world - with many pieces surviving for centuries. The materials, patterns and themes also provide clues to aspects of life in the region years ago. The hand embroidered pieces made by the women of Sumaq Qara incorporate embroidery techniques passed down through women from generation to generation. They use embroidery yarn first sheared from sheep’s coats then handspun into a single thread and dyed in large vats of colored water. Most of the dyes used are derived from local plants and insects. One of the most interesting forms of dye is from the insect Cochineal, which lives on the underside of giant cactus leaves. The insects are removed from the cactus, squeezed and boiled in large vats to produce a bright and color-fast purple dye. Once the various dyed yarns are dry, women hand sew embroidery patterns in their homes in between caring for their children and overseeing the household work.
The Salvation Centre of Cambodia
Varnished eggs and varnished bead jewelry are constructed in an intricate and time-intensive process. The crafting process for the varnished eggs begins with carefully cutting open, cleaning and gluing the eggs back together again. For the jewelry, a wooden bead is used as the base. The duck eggs and wooden beads are then covered with locally sourced fabrics and coated in up to 10 layers of varnish. They are then covered in various dilutions and sanded repeatedly. Lastly, a final layer of special varnish is applied to give the pieces their signature shine.
WE-ACT Ineza & Solidarate
Mothers of Rwanda Dolls
Beginning in July 2005, 25 women participating in the Project to Empower Vulnerable People were trained to create hand-made crafts to sell in the US market. The dolls they make are dressed in high-quality cotton fabrics of traditional prints and stuffed with recycled plastic sacks. These dolls have also led to several interesting partnerships in the US. At one of GGP's partner schools in New York, students volunteered to stuff the dolls, saving the women time and shipping costs.
Sale of these dolls is vital in generating income to purchase nutritious food, but a larger, stable customer base is necessary to generate significant funds. The more funds generated by sales, the more women the project can incorporate into its work.
Wola Nani
Artisans at Wola Nani make beaded bracelets and napkin rings, papier maché bowls and picture frames, decorative light bulbs and tea lights, and cards. Most products are brightly colored and certified "Proudly South African," a campaign designed to encourage the growth of socially responsible South African businesses.
Wola Nani's beaded AIDS Ribbon patches are a meaningful blend of a traditional craft with a modern symbol. The beaded square is a Zulu symbol for a love letter, and the colors used in its creation represent the hopes and desires of those who wear it. The red AIDS ribbon is beaded into Wola Nani's love letters to signify the hope and desire for widespread acceptance of the virus and a path to its end.
The papier maché bowls sold by GGP are made solely out of recycled paper. Each bowl takes about four hours to make. The design was inspired by a very popular South African fabric called shwe shwe, worn by the Xhosa people. Shwe shwe consists of white designs on a red, blue, or brown background. It is made with a very specific process in which fabric is fed through copper rollers with designs etched into their surfaces and covered in weak acid, bleaching the material in the design of the shwe shwe pattern.
Women’s Education for Advancement and Empowerment
Traditional Burmese Weaving and Embroidery
The art of traditional Burmese weaving has a 5,000 year history and its own distinct set of motifs, one of which is the series of horizontal line patterns called achiek present in the work sold by GGP. The women of WEAVE use vegetable dyes and traditional Karen and Karenni patterns for their cloth and thread. Weaving and embroidery skills and designs are passed down through generations of women. Roughly 300 women are involved in the weaving project, where they create greeting cards, bags, purses, scarves, and dolls. The project has an impact beyond income generation: it is a creative escape from the hard life of a refugee and a chance for women to bond with each other over their historic cultural traditions.
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