Unique gifts

Harvesting Basket Small Date Leaf B-AT-DH08

A smaller basket handmade with tightly woven date palm leaf.

Delightful and practical for so many uses yet contemporary for functional living. Add fresh inspiration to your home for storing linen , magazines and craft accessories. In the office ideal to keep all your paperwork neatly in one place. In the kitchen , what better way to store potatoes, onions and garlic. Going on a picnic? This eco-friendly sturdy basket will hold the delectables for a memorable occasion. The multitude of uses for this basket will truly inspire you. A treasure for interior and home decorators.

Due to its handmade qualities, each item is unique

Approximate width of basket is 26 cms

Approximate depth of basket is 17 cms

Approximate total height of basket with handles is 28cms.

Purchased from Artisan Talent, a fair Trade organization in Bangladesh dedicated to creating handcraft employment for poor and disadvantaged producers. Training is provided to producers to improve their skills and increase opportunities for employment. Approximately 70% of the artisans are women. 50-80% advance payment is given to the producers for purchase of raw materials and also for wages. Artisan talent is committed to empower the poor especially destitute women by job creation and capacity earning. All the Fair Trade values are respected and upheld.

Silk embroidered handbag

Global Market Day , Redlands

Scarf Brown Ochre Swirls

Scarf Brown Ochre Swirls

Abby Valdes, Australian plus sized supermodel recently took time out of her very busy schedule to visit Siham Craftlink and try on some of our beautiful fashion accessories.

Beaded and embroidered handbag

Abby is now based in New York and travels the world doing modelling assignments in many different countries. Abby was in Australia for some work and a little R & R but very strongly believes in the principles of Fair Trade.

Pink /green shawl

Crochet beaded cap

Photos http://www.sihamcraftlink.com/album/kalijong/index.htm photos are in an album format and the small photos when clicked open to larger photos.

Kalijong Village, YWCA Bangladesh

The YWCA Bangladesh is very dear to my heart. Many of the staff are my personal friends, and I admire greatly the work that the YWCA does in Bangladesh. They have a very holistic caring programme, reaching out in many ways to the poor and oppressed. The making of craft is one of the ways that the disadvantaged women are able to earn a much needed income. I have been privileged to work with the YWCA Bangladesh for over 15 years.

During my visit in February, there was great excitement because prior to my visit, I had submitted a sizeable order . As I am attending the Melbourne Trade Fair this year, I needed to think way in advance as to what I will be showcasing. It was so exciting as we visited the different YWCA centres ( in Dhaka, Savar Village and Kalijong Village) seeing the ladies making those ever popular hand puppets and yes ( hopefully) many will be filling orders for customers from the trade fair.

The Craft Centre started in 1973 with sixteen women. 2184 ladies have been trained since then. Presently there are 450 ladies making their craft for the YWCA and yes, they rely very heavily on the Australian market.

Today I am going to share about the ladies in Kalijong Village , which is about 30 kms out of the heart of Dhaka., the capital of Bangladesh. This craft centre was set up in this village because previously the women were travelling daily by bus and rickshaw into the YWCA Dhaka Craft Centre to do their craft work. Dhaka roads are not like Australian roads- they are absolute mayhem , with no apparent road rules . Cars and rusty old buses weave in and around rickshaws . I don’t know how many times we experienced near accidents and how many times we sighed with relief ! Bengali people seem to take it in their stride, but for us it was a completely different story.

At Kalijong Village, we had the joy of walking around visiting the little homes and seeing the ladies working. Many were sitting on grass mats outside their tin and thatched homes. With needle and thread they were working their magic, handstitching very carefully the crocodile and zebra hand puppets. Some of the ladies were working in pairs,( no doubt a good time to chat too), often with their small children beside them. Some were working individually.

The day we visited, routine life continued in Kalijong Village. Some ladies were cooking their midday meals . Dried cow dung is used as fuel in the small underground clay ovens. Chickens were running around. The village cow looked very contented. Children , always inquisitive of the Australian Aussies, were laughing and skipping as we walked around the village.

At Kalijong Village , the YWCA have built a small work centre which comprises two rooms. It is made of cement with open areas in the walls to suffice as windows. In one of these rooms are the treadle sewing machines . After the completion of the hand embroidery and hand appliqué many of these items are completed on these machines. The other small room is where the ladies can sit together to do their sewing if they so wish. The day we were there this didn’t happen because we were taking up their space! Also this day two nurses visited and were using one of the rooms. Anyone can visit the nurses. This service is paid for by the YWCA. Blood pressures were being taken, advice was being given and tablets were dispensed! The nurses visit monthly.

The ladies are paid monthly by the YWCA. Payment is for each piece, depending on the capability/ skill of the artisan. As an incentive the best producers are given a cash bonus. Each craft item has the producers name hand stitched on paper to the item. When orders are completed, they are then bundled up in bags and taken to the main Craft Centre in Dhaka for quality checking. The name is removed if quality is satisfactory. If not, the article is returned to the producer.

The objectives of the Craft Centre is to provide skill training and an income to the needy women , many of whom are illiterate or destitute and hence have no other means to support themselves and their families. I feel very privileged having worked so closely with the staff , the designers and the artisans of the YWCA for so many years.

Pam McGann

Director Siham Craftlink Pty Ltd.

Siham's stall at the Caloundra Fair

There were many interesting stalls and displays.

Fair Choices from Beenleigh with their distinctive van parked behind the stall

 

There was a stunning and imaginative display of items made from recycled materials.

Quirky and functional clothing made from recycled materials

 

Check out this skirt made from computer parts.

Now imagine heads turning as you walk down the street wearing this skirt !!!

Exquisite embroideries from the Mirzapur Village Gazipur, Bangladesh to be showcased at the Melbourne Trade Fair

Outside of Dhaka, the bustling capital of Bangladesh is the remote village of Mirzapur in the Gazipur region. Here live ladies who have exquisite hand embroidery skill. They are so talented. You name it and they can embroider it, butterflies, dragonflies, elephants, tigers and peacocks to name a few.

Miss Sheuly, a very talented lady is the leader of the embroidery group. Over a period of time, three other ladies have become involved with the hand embroidery. These ladies who had no previous experience , have been taught to stitch perfectly by Miss Sheuly. Practice work is needed to be of a high standard before the ladies are accepted to fulfil orders for the international market. All the ladies are illiterate and from poor circumstances. They now work happily handworking their rich embroideries . When the fair trade organization SHOHOJOGITA receives orders, the materials and threads along with the embroidery instructions are taken to the village. All the women are so thankful to have this work .

With the money earnt the women are able to buy books and pencils and pay for their childrens education. The children are delighted when they receive new clothes too! The women work proudly and believe that with continued orders that their lives will be uplifted out of poverty.

This year Siham Craftlink is proudly showcasing the hand embroidered peacock design handbag at the Melbourne REED Gift Fair.

Ejaz and Shaista on left with one of their sons, Pam McGann front row in blue.

The Dream to Build a School is becoming a Reality.

 When I first met Ejaz and Shaista , the founders of Artisans Effort in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, two years ago they shared a dream. Quietly they explained that they wanted to build a school for needy children. I listened intently. The “dream” seemed enormous . Financially how could this goal be reached? However I have learnt that when you have the sincerity and the heart such as Ejaz and Shaista to achieve something for the good of mankind, nothing is going to stop that dream become a reality.

Land acquired for school

Last year the first part of this dream was realized.

Suitable land had been found at Asansol which is 200 kms away from Kolkata ( Shaistas family live in this area).

There was an urgency after realizing the potential of this land. Banks in India do not give loans for purchase of land, only for construction of buildings. An urgent request was sent out to the handful of buyers that Artisans Effort supplies with their beautiful handcrafted fair trade items. Was it possible to give substantial orders for craft to the artisans ? We all rallied for the cause and the percentage of profit from the sale of the craft, along with savings from artisans Effort was enough to secure the purchase of the land!!!

The land area at 8 cottahs (5,760 sq feet ) is quite small but the first part of the dream was secured.

 At present Artisans Effort is sponsoring the education of two children, but since 2005, they have paid the educational expenses for nine needy children.

Ejaz and Shaista shared that when they first looked for potential students to sponsor both in Kolkata and Asansol, that they were overwhelmed with responses. Parents were pleading with folded hands. Although able to assist with some childrens education , they felt helpless . They also observed many children working in small tea stands, small hotels , washing dishes and in carriages as their parents had a very small income and the children had no other alternative but to earn some money. As Ejaz says they live “hand to mouth”.

In India everyone has to pay for their education. There are three levels of education . Even in the low education English category ( the children are sponsored in this category) the cost of admission is US$55 and then approximately US$22 a month per child. The approximate income per month for wage earners is US$100. Hence it is easily understandable why education for children is out of the reach for many families. Education is an extremely valued and precious blessing.

The school will be a Montessori school. The levels of education available at commencement will be lower nursery, upper nursery, nursery, kindergarten and grades 1,2 and 3.

For the school to run smoothly, it is planned that initially 5-10% of the children enrolled will be given free education. The free education percentage will be changing each year as per the school fund. It is also planned that other grades will be added. When the school does open, there will be many running costs such as teachers salaries, electricity, maintenance and curricular activities hence the need to also include students who will be paying.

 As the bank interest is quite high, Artisans Effort will be trying to take the minimum loan possible. The bank rules in India stipulate that the deposit of a loan needs a minimum deposit of 20%.

 Some people living near the school land have heard the news that a school is going to be built. Parents are anxiously enquiring where they can register their childrens names.

Ladies at Artisans Effort, India, Pam McGann on right in blue

 Ejaz and Shaista know what it means to be poor. With twin boys and no income they were forced to give one of their twin babies to Shaistas family to look after for several years. Food was one meal a day. Wedding jewellery which was given by their families was mortgaged and they never saw it again. Ejaz and Shaista understand the suffering of the poor. That is why this year they were elected to be the Human Rights state representatives for West Bengal. This is a voluntary role.

 Ejaz sums up the dream “The school will definately not be able to solve the problem in a huge population but will give a smile and happiness to some. We are very thankful to God that fair trade has taught us something to do for others. According to me, the real good human being gets happy when he/ she is able to bring happiness on needy peoples lives.” It is with the same compassion and love for all mankind that Artisans Effort kindly donated US$100 to the Australian Victorian Bushfire Appeal.