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Nepalese Fair Trade for Christmas
This year MS provides Nepalese Fair Trade for Danish Companies who want to give themselves and their employees a good conscience for Christmas. A small fair trade team from MS Denmark visited Nepal to arrange the production of cane boxes, special design tea warmers, towels, tea and Christmas Cards for this years company Christmas present.
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MS company Christmas Present - 100% Nepalese story
Photo: Nikolaj Kilsmark
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14. June 2007
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Cecilie Toudal
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Fair Trade that fit into Danish homes is the mantra for this years company Christmas present from MS. Therefore the presents have been developed as a joint effort between Danish designer Kirsten Fribert and three Nepalese producers: Bhaktapur Craft Paper, Mahaguthi fair trade shop and Everest tea house. Kirsten Fribert and MS campaign consultant Cecilie Toudal spent ten days in Nepal to make sure the presents become just right.
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Kirsten Fribert
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The visit became an intense experience of cultural exchange. Kirsten who is used to work closely with producers of her design in Denmark was choked to see how simple the local production facilities in for example fabric printing are: “I really felt like passing on some ideas about how things could be done more effectively”, she smiles and continues that she saw sewing machines so simple and at the same time so effective that she could never have imagined it before hand.
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The colouring process
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Cecilie and Kirsten visited Bhaktapur, an ancient arts and crafts centre on the outskirts of Kathmandu to see the paper factory of Bhaktapur Craft Paper. Bhaktapur. They also went to see the sewing school of Mahaguthi Fair Trade corporation situated in green and peaceful surroundings close to the city. Both visits gave the team a very positive view of the work environment: “Everybody really seems to enjoy working there”, Cecilie says: “People were laughing and chatting. It was so good to see that we not only support a better income for poor women and their families but also a pleasant work environment”. Another thing Cecilie really liked about the paper factory was that men and women work together side by side. “I don’t know how usual that is in Nepal but it was certainly positive”, she concludes.
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Photo: Cecilie Toudal
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The two Danes were very satisfied with their small team: As Cecilie puts it, “having Kirsten Fribert to come along to Nepal has been indispensable, she knows all the important things about the quality of material, colours, filling etc, that I could not have worked out by myself”.
The presents can be ordered from www.ms.dk from June 1st and are shipped from Octobter 1st.
Fact about the producing companies:
Bhaktapur Craft Paper LTD was established by Unicef in 1981, but became independent two years ago. BCP is now a company owned by its existing permanent staff. The main aim is to provide a viable income opportunity to as many families as possible through paper making and cutting. The idea is to mix old Nepalese traditions of paper making with some modern prints and environmentally sensitive methods to preserve trees and recycle materials. Currently 4000 families are involved in the production directly and indirectly. All get a fair wage. 40% of the profit from the factory is used for development projects in Nepalese villages, such as water and sanitation, health and education.
Mahaguthi Fair Trade is an independent fair trade organisation, whose aim is to create economic and social development for the poor. Among other things, the profit from sales in Mahaguthi’s two Kathmandu shops support a sewing school for the underprivileged. Women from villages outside Kathmandu are urged to come there for training. While they are trained food, board and day care facilities for children are free. After the training many of the women go back to their villages to use their skills there. But some stay and get small businesses that may keep the connection with Mahaguthi.
Everest tea house is not an actual Fair Trade cooperation, though its products are sold by the Mahaguthi shop, but the tea sold is 100% Nepalese. Everest tea house supply four kinds of pure Nepalese tea for the MS Christmas Presents.
