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As another year draws to a close, we and our artisan partners want to take this moment to express our gratitude to you for your support and thank you for helping us to bring their beautiful work into the world. There has been so much uncertainty and many things have changed over the past 12 months, but throughout everything, one thing has remained steady for us - our wholehearted commitment to the amazing artisans that we’ve had the pleasure of working with for over a decade. As a Fair Trade business, the wellbeing of the talented women who make our products is always close to our hearts, so we have continued to closely monitor the effects of the pandemic on them and their communities this year.
While we haven't been able to visit the artisans personally like we usually would, we've been communicating with many of our partners via video chats which has helped us all to feel connected. We’ve enjoyed some good laughs along the way, sharing in the delight of new babies arriving, interacting with the women sitting in groups chatting as they sort and prepare the raw materials for our products and watching a blind elderly man assisting the women with their crafts to keep himself active. These little sparks of joy and human connection remind us of the purpose of The Dharma Door and why we do business the way we do.
Food packages being distributed to artisans effected by flooding.
The resilience and strength of the artisans in the face of adversity was once again brought to the fore this year. Covid has continued to affect them in many ways - from the tragic loss of elders and knowledge-keepers in their communities, to lockdowns preventing the artisans from working and shipping delays. In September, significant and long-term flooding severely impacted the women who handcraft our Wall Hangings, Sona and Seafarer baskets. We immediately reached out to offer a financial donation for food and hygiene packages to be distributed to all of the artisans and their families while they weren’t able to work. While our business is built on the model of fair trade - as opposed to aid - we thought you might appreciate knowing how your support enables us to act quickly and give back to artisans and their communities during times of need.
Each and every item in our collection makes an important and meaningful difference to the lives of the women who handcraft them. Living in some of the poorest and remote communities in Bangladesh and Africa, our partnership allows them the chance to do things they never dreamt of before, like sending their children to school; rebuilding their homes; medical care for themselves or loved ones; or something as simple as being able to buy new clothing. Please know that if you have purchased something from us this year, you have contributed to making a genuine impact on the life of a woman who truly appreciates it. This festive season, we invite you to help us spread some good cheer by sending a personal message to the women who have crafted your favourite pieces. Hearing from you will undoubtedly lift their spirits as they continue to navigate challenging times. Let them know what you love about their work, along with any other sentiments you would like to share with them and we will pass your message on to the artisans. Click here.
Our goal is - and always will be - to empower as many women artisans as possible out of poverty through good design and trading fairly with them. We look forward to sharing some beautiful products with you in 2022 as we are in the midst of developing collections with new artisan groups in India and Nepal, while continuing to design new pieces with our existing artisan partners in Bangladesh & Africa. Together we are all making a significant difference to the lives of the women who make our products. Thank you for your continued support - we, and the artisans, greatly appreciate it 🖤
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