You
won’t find brand name goods at Harmony Moon. But what you will find is
real people, real artisans, and stories so real they’ll make your heart
break.
Many
of our producers are in Nepal and India where women traditionally have
limited opportunities for supporting themselves and their children as
well as minimal access to education and quality healthcare. As we
celebrate International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8th, we thought we would share with you some of the stories of the real
women who make the fine handmade goods you see in our shop.
***
Indira makes our woven placemats, napkins, and other tableware with the
Association of Craft Producers (ACP). ACP, one of the largest artisan
organizations in Nepal, has helped many low income women escape from a
life of poverty, harsh working conditions, and exploitation. Indira has
an all too common story: denied an education because she was a girl,
she was married at 18 and had a daughter. Her husband was unable to
support the family and left to find better work in Malaysia. Indira was
now the sole support of her daughter as well as two other family
members. She heard of ACP through a friend and soon joined their
textile team. Through her earnings with ACP, she now supports her
family, and, most happily, her daughter is able to go to school.
(acp.org)
***
Hasroon makes our crocheted coin purses, hats, and scarves with Padhma
Creation. Like Indira, Hasroon, too, was married at eighteen. Her
husband’s family demanded additional dowry money but Hasroon’s parents
were unable to pay it. Hasroon was beaten, had gasoline poured on her,
and then set on fire. She survived and was rescued by a women’s shelter
program, Padhma Creation. Hasroon is now happy and healthy and is able
to support herself and her son from her work with Padhma Creation.
(padhmacreation.com)
***
Sundari makes our notecards and other handmade paper goods. Sundari
came from a very poor family and received only a basic education.
Married and with two sons, she joined Bhaktapur Craft Paper (BCP) which
was then a project of UNICEF Nepal. Her children received on-site
daycare and from her earnings with BCP, she was able to send them to
school through Higher Secondary Level (the equivalent of an Associate’s
Degree). Both sons went on to become successful national soccer
players. In 2004, UNICEF handed over ownership of BCP to its workers
and Sundari, from her most humble beginnings, became a co-owner of the
organization. (ganeshhimaltrading.com)
