Accessories

The Problem

Basket weavers are usually forced to sell their products to middlemen for a pittance, who go on to sell their goods to shops for a profit for themselves.

The Solution

Our support service eliminates that middleman, buying directly from the artisans and providing them with a fair price for their work. Another part of this is that we also provide straw to the communities, in what we call, a Straw Bank. Straw can be expensive for the communities to buy from the market themselves. So what TradeAID does is buy the straw in bulk at opportune times when the price is lower and then it sells it to the communities for a cheaper price. 

By providing orders to the basket weavers from the international market, we are able to provide fair prices which will allow them to make a livelihood from their work, which they put so much time, skill and effort into. As a Fair Trade organization, this is crucial to our aims.

We also aim to improve the skills of the craft communities, providing training to help them diversify their products, as well as providing training which enables them to improve their business and marketing skills. For instance before TradeAID arrived it was the case that many of the communities would only be able to do one kind of basket. However, now, due to the product diversification training provided by TradeAID a single community may be able to make many more than just the one style of basket. Therefore, their business should now be more diverse in terms of products and so they should be able to find more success as well.

As well as Product Diversification training, we also provide Business skills training. This can include things like record keeping, marketing/advertising, customer service, etc. The aim, once again, is that through education we can help people to learn effective business skills and so this will then enrich and nourish their businesses.

Another area we’re currently looking into are alternative dyes for the craftspeople, looking for dye which would be cheaper and more readily available. The current dye used is not without harmful side effects, and as such, we attempt to educate the basket weavers on these dangers and make them aware of precautions that can be taken to diminish these, by providing protective gear such as masks.

Overall, the Basket Weavers and Market Support Service is a sprawling project with big aims and high aspirations. Thus, it can be seen as one of TradeAID’s most vital projects in terms of achieving the aims of “making trade work for the poor” which is our slogan and surely our most fundamental belief.

The Problem

Fast fashion-unsustainable dyes, fibres and fabric

The Solution

All MAYDE products are use Oeko-tex certified yarns. Many styles are still hand loomed – a Turkish tradition spanning back hundreds of years…today MAYDE offers everything from super lightweight towels, to rich and plush beach blankets and throws that care for the planet and people. Yarns are made using no harmful chemicals, toxic or allergenic substances. All colours are Azo free and many suppliers also use plant based and vegan washing liquids ensuring nothing harmful goes back into the earth throughout the production process.

The Problem

Fast fashion-unsustainable dyes, fibres and fabric

The Solution

All MAYDE products are use Oeko-tex certified yarns. Many styles are still hand loomed – a Turkish tradition spanning back hundreds of years…today MAYDE offers everything from super lightweight towels, to rich and plush beach blankets and throws that care for the planet and people. Yarns are made using no harmful chemicals, toxic or allergenic substances. All colours are Azo free and many suppliers also use plant based and vegan washing liquids ensuring nothing harmful goes back into the earth throughout the production process.

The Problem

Fast fashion-unsustainable dyes, fibres and fabric

The Solution

All MAYDE products are use Oeko-tex certified yarns. Many styles are still hand loomed – a Turkish tradition spanning back hundreds of years…today MAYDE offers everything from super lightweight towels, to rich and plush beach blankets and throws that care for the planet and people. Yarns are made using no harmful chemicals, toxic or allergenic substances. All colours are Azo free and many suppliers also use plant based and vegan washing liquids ensuring nothing harmful goes back into the earth throughout the production process.

Problem

Many women in Papua New Guinea try to earn supplementary income to support their families by selling their traditional crafts such as bilas and bilums, but market access is limited to unpredictable local sales, making it hard to earn enough income to survive.

Ever since arriving in Madang, Papua New Guinea in 2008,  Jessica Cassell, Founder and Creative Director of Bilum & Bilas, has been passionate about bilums and the creativity, skill and knowledge that goes into the craft. Knowing the international demand for sustainable, natural products like bilums, yet observing the daily struggles of female artisans became the catalyst in her addressing market access. In 2014 Bilum & Bilas was started as an online bilum store focused on linking artisanal products to international buyers in an effort to generate better income for bilum weavers and artisans.

Over time, our small team discovered the complexities, expense and instability of the craft and bilum supply chain. The intricate craftsmanship, traditional processing and labour that goes into creating a bilum is what makes them so unique, but it also means they are challenging to produce at a scale that provides the artisans with a stable and equitable income.

Solution

Working closely together we developed a solution and the Bilum & Bilas accessory was born.

Our designs are inspired by the beauty and essence of the bilum, and retain the traditional weaving techniques and natural fibres, yet in microform. Creating intricate representations of bilum technique, streamlines the making process, enabling our small team to optimise production and create stable jobs for Papua New Guinean women with these unique skills.

Our approach enables us to employ female artisans to design, develop and handcraft collections providing guaranteed income and a safe and secure work environment. Artisans receive training in fashion trends and international quality standards, supporting them to produce more competitive designs to build a sustainable business.

Problem

Many women in Papua New Guinea try to earn supplementary income to support their families by selling their traditional crafts such as bilas and bilums, but market access is limited to unpredictable local sales, making it hard to earn enough income to survive.

Ever since arriving in Madang, Papua New Guinea in 2008,  Jessica Cassell, Founder and Creative Director of Bilum & Bilas, has been passionate about bilums and the creativity, skill and knowledge that goes into the craft. Knowing the international demand for sustainable, natural products like bilums, yet observing the daily struggles of female artisans became the catalyst in her addressing market access. In 2014 Bilum & Bilas was started as an online bilum store focused on linking artisanal products to international buyers in an effort to generate better income for bilum weavers and artisans.

Over time, our small team discovered the complexities, expense and instability of the craft and bilum supply chain. The intricate craftsmanship, traditional processing and labour that goes into creating a bilum is what makes them so unique, but it also means they are challenging to produce at a scale that provides the artisans with a stable and equitable income.

Solution

Working closely together we developed a solution and the Bilum & Bilas accessory was born.

Our designs are inspired by the beauty and essence of the bilum, and retain the traditional weaving techniques and natural fibres, yet in microform. Creating intricate representations of bilum technique, streamlines the making process, enabling our small team to optimise production and create stable jobs for Papua New Guinean women with these unique skills.

Our approach enables us to employ female artisans to design, develop and handcraft collections providing guaranteed income and a safe and secure work environment. Artisans receive training in fashion trends and international quality standards, supporting them to produce more competitive designs to build a sustainable business.

Problem

Many women in Papua New Guinea try to earn supplementary income to support their families by selling their traditional crafts such as bilas and bilums, but market access is limited to unpredictable local sales, making it hard to earn enough income to survive.

Ever since arriving in Madang, Papua New Guinea in 2008,  Jessica Cassell, Founder and Creative Director of Bilum & Bilas, has been passionate about bilums and the creativity, skill and knowledge that goes into the craft. Knowing the international demand for sustainable, natural products like bilums, yet observing the daily struggles of female artisans became the catalyst in her addressing market access. In 2014 Bilum & Bilas was started as an online bilum store focused on linking artisanal products to international buyers in an effort to generate better income for bilum weavers and artisans.

Over time, our small team discovered the complexities, expense and instability of the craft and bilum supply chain. The intricate craftsmanship, traditional processing and labour that goes into creating a bilum is what makes them so unique, but it also means they are challenging to produce at a scale that provides the artisans with a stable and equitable income.

Solution

Working closely together we developed a solution and the Bilum & Bilas accessory was born.

Our designs are inspired by the beauty and essence of the bilum, and retain the traditional weaving techniques and natural fibres, yet in microform. Creating intricate representations of bilum technique, streamlines the making process, enabling our small team to optimise production and create stable jobs for Papua New Guinean women with these unique skills.

Our approach enables us to employ female artisans to design, develop and handcraft collections providing guaranteed income and a safe and secure work environment. Artisans receive training in fashion trends and international quality standards, supporting them to produce more competitive designs to build a sustainable business.

The Problem

Fast fashion-unsustainable dyes, fibres and fabric

The Solution

All MAYDE products are use Oeko-tex certified yarns. Many styles are still hand loomed – a Turkish tradition spanning back hundreds of years…today MAYDE offers everything from super lightweight towels, to rich and plush beach blankets and throws that care for the planet and people. Yarns are made using no harmful chemicals, toxic or allergenic substances. All colours are Azo free and many suppliers also use plant based and vegan washing liquids ensuring nothing harmful goes back into the earth throughout the production process.

The Problem

Fast fashion-unsustainable dyes, fibres and fabric

The Solution

All MAYDE products are Oeko-tex certified yarns. Many styles are still hand loomed – a Turkish tradition spanning back hundreds of years…today MAYDE offers everything from super lightweight towels, to rich and plush beach blankets and throws that care for the planet and people. Yarns are made using no harmful chemicals, toxic or allergenic substances. All colours are Azo free and many suppliers also use plant based and vegan washing liquids ensuring nothing harmful goes back into the earth throughout the production process.

The Problem

Basket weavers are usually forced to sell their products to middlemen for a pittance, who go on to sell their goods to shops for a profit for themselves.

The Solution

Our support service eliminates that middleman, buying directly from the artisans and providing them with a fair price for their work. Another part of this is that we also provide straw to the communities, in what we call, a Straw Bank. Straw can be expensive for the communities to buy from the market themselves. So what TradeAID does is buy the straw in bulk at opportune times when the price is lower and then it sells it to the communities for a cheaper price. 

By providing orders to the basket weavers from the international market, we are able to provide fair prices which will allow them to make a livelihood from their work, which they put so much time, skill and effort into. As a Fair Trade organization, this is crucial to our aims.

We also aim to improve the skills of the craft communities, providing training to help them diversify their products, as well as providing training which enables them to improve their business and marketing skills. For instance before TradeAID arrived it was the case that many of the communities would only be able to do one kind of basket. However, now, due to the product diversification training provided by TradeAID a single community may be able to make many more than just the one style of basket. Therefore, their business should now be more diverse in terms of products and so they should be able to find more success as well.

As well as Product Diversification training, we also provide Business skills training. This can include things like record keeping, marketing/advertising, customer service, etc. The aim, once again, is that through education we can help people to learn effective business skills and so this will then enrich and nourish their businesses.

Another area we’re currently looking into are alternative dyes for the craftspeople, looking for dye which would be cheaper and more readily available. The current dye used is not without harmful side effects, and as such, we attempt to educate the basket weavers on these dangers and make them aware of precautions that can be taken to diminish these, by providing protective gear such as masks.

Overall, the Basket Weavers and Market Support Service is a sprawling project with big aims and high aspirations. Thus, it can be seen as one of TradeAID’s most vital projects in terms of achieving the aims of “making trade work for the poor” which is our slogan and surely our most fundamental belief.

Problem

Many women in Papua New Guinea try to earn supplementary income to support their families by selling their traditional crafts such as bilas and bilums, but market access is limited to unpredictable local sales, making it hard to earn enough income to survive.

Ever since arriving in Madang, Papua New Guinea in 2008,  Jessica Cassell, Founder and Creative Director of Bilum & Bilas, has been passionate about bilums and the creativity, skill and knowledge that goes into the craft. Knowing the international demand for sustainable, natural products like bilums, yet observing the daily struggles of female artisans became the catalyst in her addressing market access. In 2014 Bilum & Bilas was started as an online bilum store focused on linking artisanal products to international buyers in an effort to generate better income for bilum weavers and artisans.

Over time, our small team discovered the complexities, expense and instability of the craft and bilum supply chain. The intricate craftsmanship, traditional processing and labour that goes into creating a bilum is what makes them so unique, but it also means they are challenging to produce at a scale that provides the artisans with a stable and equitable income.

Solution

Working closely together we developed a solution and the Bilum & Bilas accessory was born.

Our designs are inspired by the beauty and essence of the bilum, and retain the traditional weaving techniques and natural fibres, yet in microform. Creating intricate representations of bilum technique, streamlines the making process, enabling our small team to optimise production and create stable jobs for Papua New Guinean women with these unique skills.

Our approach enables us to employ female artisans to design, develop and handcraft collections providing guaranteed income and a safe and secure work environment. Artisans receive training in fashion trends and international quality standards, supporting them to produce more competitive designs to build a sustainable business.

Problem

Many women in Papua New Guinea try to earn supplementary income to support their families by selling their traditional crafts such as bilas and bilums, but market access is limited to unpredictable local sales, making it hard to earn enough income to survive.

Ever since arriving in Madang, Papua New Guinea in 2008,  Jessica Cassell, Founder and Creative Director of Bilum & Bilas, has been passionate about bilums and the creativity, skill and knowledge that goes into the craft. Knowing the international demand for sustainable, natural products like bilums, yet observing the daily struggles of female artisans became the catalyst in her addressing market access. In 2014 Bilum & Bilas was started as an online bilum store focused on linking artisanal products to international buyers in an effort to generate better income for bilum weavers and artisans.

Over time, our small team discovered the complexities, expense and instability of the craft and bilum supply chain. The intricate craftsmanship, traditional processing and labour that goes into creating a bilum is what makes them so unique, but it also means they are challenging to produce at a scale that provides the artisans with a stable and equitable income.

Solution

Working closely together we developed a solution and the Bilum & Bilas accessory was born.

Our designs are inspired by the beauty and essence of the bilum, and retain the traditional weaving techniques and natural fibres, yet in microform. Creating intricate representations of bilum technique, streamlines the making process, enabling our small team to optimise production and create stable jobs for Papua New Guinean women with these unique skills.

Our approach enables us to employ female artisans to design, develop and handcraft collections providing guaranteed income and a safe and secure work environment. Artisans receive training in fashion trends and international quality standards, supporting them to produce more competitive designs to build a sustainable business.