Ruby Devi as a young girl stopped going to school since she did not find it interesting. As she looks back today she regrets having left her education midway. Her desire to study now is a dream unfulfilled as she single handedly shoulders the responsibility of her home and family.

She was married as soon as she turned 18, as is the family tradition. The arranged marriage turned out to be a nightmare when she discovered her husband was a drug addict. He would often disappear for months together and then suddenly return home. This soon became a routine. Finally, one day, 6 years ago, he walked away and never returned, leaving her with their 2 children, a 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter.

Ruby was left with very few options and had to look for work that would support her and her little children. Having no education, finding work was not easy. Through her persistent effort, she managed to find work with a wooden handicraft producer group. Here she learned packaging and painting of wooden handicrafts.

Asha Handicrafts reached out to Ruby as she continued to work with the wooden handicrafts supplier over the last 2 years. Her children were provided educational assistance and also given essential food items during the nationwide lockdown. Besides taking home fair wages, she also benefits from the various social welfare initiatives conducted by Asha. 

Ruby used to walk for half an hour to reach her work place so she could save a little money. Asha decided to provide a bicycle to her to ease her commute. She now comes to work in 15 minutes, which helps her conserve her energy and time.

Her children attend the local school and her only dream is to educate her children so that they will have a promising future. In her free time Ruby enjoys listening to old classical Hindi melodies. Her life revolves around and her children & her work, where she spends most of her time .

 It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. – Confucius

As a child, Pooja Kumari moved from Chhapra district, Bihar to Jaipur, Rajasthan when her father got a job as a security guard at a private firm. Times were tough, managing an entire family on one person’s meagre salary and they often went to bed hungry. However, Pooja’s parents were determined to educate their 4 children and Pooja managed to clear 12^th grade.

Forever grateful to her parents for their sacrifices, Pooja decided to look for work as soon as she completed Grade 12. After a year of working in a textile company that left her unhappy with her profession, a neighbour spotted her talent in jewelry making and Pooja discovered her true calling.

Today, Pooja is an apprentice with Asha Handicrafts Association’s artisan group and has been learning for over two months to make jewelry like earrings and bracelets. Her work gives her satisfaction and she is proud to be able to help her family financially. Pooja’s focus is on getting better at her craft and dreams of one day becoming an independent woman.

We at Asha Handicrafts are proud to have her on our team and support hundreds like her to overcome adversity and achieve her dreams. Thanks to a growing demand worldwide for handcrafted products that express stories of Indian heritage, our artisans now have regular work, are paid fair wages and are able to send their children to school. Their future generations will not have to struggle with poverty and will have an equitable shot at their dreams.

You too can be a part of this journey of empathy. Every product that you purchase from Asha Handicrafts goes a long way in supporting Indian artisans like Seema and can empower her to fulfil her dreams.

You too can help her on this journey of empathy. Every purchase you make goes a long way to empowering women like her and community building. Our artisans now have regular work, are paid fair wages and are able to send their children to school. Their future generations will not have to struggle with poverty and will have an equitable shot at their dreams.

Nagma is a handicraft artisan living in the slums of east Delhi the capital city of India with her 3 young children. Her house is a single room with a small kitchen space.

She learned the art of embroidery and sewing beautiful designs from her husband, who often brought work home. Seeing her husband burdened with work she often helped him and together they lived a simple life looking after their children.

The sudden loss of her husband a few years ago, turned Nagma’s life around which left her with the responsibility of caring for her children single-handed. She secured work with the supplier connected to Asha Handicrafts Association. The work helped her pay the rent, and provide the basic necessities for her children.

Nagma’s persistence has kept her consistent at work and helped her educate her children. Her older daughters are hardworking and diligent in school. The youngest son is unable to study due to ill health. Her hard work is rewarded by seeing her children educated and being able to afford the rent of her home.

For the last 3 years, she has mastered the craft of embroidery, pasting, alteration and finishing of various handicrafts.  Her day passes by as she sews colourful beads, with the help of a needle and threads, on various fabrics. The last order she was working on, took her at least 20 minutes to make a single piece.

Nagma is filled with joy knowing that the handicrafts created travel miles away and bring food to her home. Living in a world with so much inequality, she has seen Fair Trade through Asha Handicrafts as a ray of hope that fills her with hope for the future.

The young mother’s whole world revolves around her work and her children, she dreams of seeing her children educated and living in her own home someday.  Asha Handicrafts Association partners with suppliers who employ artisans such as Nagma. In conclusion she is grateful to the customers who buy their products that not only provide employment but also instill hope and confidence to thousands of artisans in India.

The beautiful young Anam lives in a rented room in the slums of north east Delhi the capital city of India with her mother and brother. The sudden passing of her father left the family in severe financial crisis.

Her family struggled to make ends meet and Anam had to discontinue her studies in order to support her mother who works as a maid in houses. Anam’s brother has not yet understood the responsibility of the family and keeps switching jobs.

She learned stitching from her mother as a child and worked on this skill. Having secured work with a supplier for Asha Handicrafts, Anam’s life began turn around for her good. She quickly grasped the various skills of embroidery, alterations, finishing with stitching.

Filled with a desire to bring joy to her mother, she works everyday with colourful beads, threads, needles, fabric and mood boards. Anam is satisfied as she sees the final products that she creates along with so many other woman artisans such as jewellery, jewellery boxes, coasters etc.

Asha Handicrafts Association creates a pathway for women artisans such as Anam to become independent and income creating members of the family. She is determined to become financially independent keeps looking at the bright side of life. For her working with a Fair Trade organisation has saved her from being exploited as she receives fair and timely wages.

Anam’s work instils self-worth along with emotional and financial independence. Asha Handicrafts Association is a part of Anam as she is empowered to determine her own choices to build a meaningful life and believe in a promising future.  

Once you choose HOPE, anything’s is possible!  – Christopher Reeve