After the death of her husband, Zhour Khayati came from El-Jadida region to look for a job in Marrakech. After trying for so long and working in different jobs and factories, she heard of Abdeslam and his artisan group. She asked for a simple job like cleaning, but after hearing her story of her late-husband’s recent passing, he welcomed her and taught her everything he knows about clay throwing. but Abdeslam saw her potential and set his master artisans to teach her how to paint their products instead. This is how Zhour became Strong Cerame’s first female artisan! Now Zhour Khayati has worked  with Abdeslam for 12 years now, and she remarks at how quickly that time has gone by! She is now a respected artisan of high skill, and is extremely passionate about ceramics. She's also proud of herself for what she's learned and how far she's come. Zhour Khayati puts her heart and soul into every piece she makes, and it really shows in this beautiful product!

Mrs. Sunthong, a member of the Ton Fai, or “Cotton Tree” artisan group, weaves products on a traditional hand-built loom using 100% locally-grown cotton. Whereas many rural Thai are forced to leave their families and seek work in the city to earn a secondary income, the weavers work on their craft between harvesting and planting season, integrating it into their farming lifestyle. Mrs. Sunthong is seventy years old. She has been weaving for a decade on a traditional hand-built loom. Many Thai homes are elevated about 10 feet above the ground, and have a shaded outdoor patio on the ground. After our cotton is dyed at a separate workshop, it is delivered to Mrs. Sunthong and the other artisans in her village. This allows everyone work from home, giving her the opportunity to continue earning a living wage without a long commute from her rural village.

The artisan who created your new intricately-woven Seed Bead Earrings is the strong and resilient Ameena. Each day, Ameena sits in a circle with other women artisans to create their crafts together. This is a time of productivity, but also a time of camaraderie where they can share their lives, aspirations, and even gossip together. Ameena has developed a special bond with these women in her short duration with EcoVibe thus far and she is forever grateful for this group of supportive women.  Due to COVID-19 and widespread lockdowns across India, Ameena’s husband was furloughed from the iron factory where he worked. This is how Ameena took on the task of being the sole breadwinner in the family, a role that is not so common for women in India. Someone in her small village in Meerut suggested that she take a free training class at EcoVibe and her journey to financial independence was born. She is now creating her own seed bead jewelry with her own designs for EcoVibe.

Basu is an expert painter who migrated to Noah’s Ark’s workshop in Moradabad a few years ago from Orissa. He wanted to pursue his passion for art and create his own living from it. At first it was hard because he migrated to Moradabad alone, leaving his family in Orissa. He would take one trip a year to visit and only stay for roughly two months before returning to Moradabad. After saving up his fair trade wages through Noah’s Ark, Basu was finally able to relocate his family closer so he may see his daughter grow up beside him. Basu says that she has a really keen interest in singing. Us here at GlobeIn can only imagine her voice is as beautiful as her father’s creations. Thank you, Basu!

Say hello Mohd Akram and Zeba, two members of the jewelry artisan group we work with in Old Delhi, India. Mohd Akram is 35 years old and was educated up to the 10th grade. He has worked in the craft of jewelry-making for a little over 18 years, from the time he left school to today. Mohd Akram learned his craft from his parents and his parents’ parents, as it is an ancestral craft in his region of India. Zeba works primarily with brass and for the last 7 years has received a quality income due to access to Fair Trade work through Matr Boomie. She is 30 years old and was educated to the 12th class, ie. all through grade school, which is not common for women of her class in India.

Coming from the dexterous hands of Alebipporum, this Picnic basket is crafted with vetiver grass, which is rolled by hand and dyed to give it a vibrant hue. This basket is conceived after seven days of labor and hard work. It evokes that old-timey picnic vibe. This basket will make your picnic packing an easy-breezy sort of affair—just fill this basket with delicious fruits and foods, and enjoy a memorable picnic day with a perfect meal outdoors. Alebipoorum has mastered the art of weaving over 20 years! With the introduction of Fair Trade, Alebipoorum is able to save enough money in the rural bank, to ensure education for her children!