CAMBODIA

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is a socially motivated business that provides quality unique silk fashion accessories while providing educational and employment opportunities for vulnerable people.

Owner Chim Kong is a young Cambodian Designer who has risen above the adversity that has been the history of Cambodia. When Kong was 12 she lost her leg to a land mine in the forest near the village where she lived. 

Now, along with her husband Sam, she employs 12 permanent staff and 15 piece workers who are disabled by land mines or polio. Her small group is certified under Artisans Association of Cambodia, as an internationally certified Fair Trade organization.

ECUADOR

Inka’s World

These Ecuadorian textiles have been brought directly to Canada from the artisans in the Ecuadorian mountains by MamaQuilla’s partner, Inka's World.

Inka's World is an Ecuadorian family-owned company representing a cooperative of over 300 families in Otavalo. Inka’s World practices fair and ethical trade philosophies that help Otavalo’s native artisan families build a sustainable future and preserve a cultural tradition that date back thousands of years.

KYRGYZSTAN

Shyrdak Rugs

Shyrdak rugs are traditionally made by women. Two or more contrasting layers of felt are laid on top of one another and a pattern is then marked on the top layer in chalk. This creates a stunning positive/negative style visual image usually full of symbolic motif images that represent the natural world. The felt that is cut from the top layer is not wasted and is used to create another mirror image shyrdak with the reverse colours of the original.

Mariam Omurzakova

Mariam Omurzakova is the founding Executive Director of the Atlyn Kor Women’s Handicraft Cooperative.

The mission of Atlyn Kor is to provide income to the local felt artisans of the Kochkor Region and thus carry on Kyrgyz culture and traditions of textile art for generations to come.

MEXICO

The Espatulas Rosates Co-operative

Espatulas Rosates members are a family group that includes the mother Minda, the sisters Araceli (Chely), Areli, Lily, Ruby and the sister in law, Antonia.  In addition to this core group, other community women often show up to help.  Chely is the cooperative’s informal coordinator. She also operates Paradise Bird Tours -  a bird watching guide business in the beautiful lagoon and estuary in her community.

 Most of the men in the village of Barra de Potosi are fishermen and the fishing is not what it used to be.   The women’s co-op idea began when a seasonal resident of the area brought arts and crafts ideas to the women of Barra as a way to supplement their families’ income.  

In 2014, with assistance from supporters, they developed an idea based on rag dolls that could be made from the materials readily available in the area and that spoke of the colour, charm and vibrancy of the village and culture. All the fabrics are purchased in the local fabric shops.  They hand dye the fabric for the bodies, machine sew and stuff them; everything else is sewn by hand.   Each member contributes time and skills and the cooperative works together on cutting, sewing and embellishing these unique creations. The hand embroidered facial features and expressions give each doll her unique personality.

 While the initial intent was to sell the dolls to tourists who visited the community, Chely now liaises with supporters of the group’s aims to distribute the dolls to Canada, the United States and beyond. The members of Espatulas Rosatas have learned so many skills with this project; quality control, sense of design, sales skills, book keeping and of course the wonderful feeling of making their own money and contributing to their families