Artisan Story: Punam

Our goal at ghia is to change the world, a little bit at a time, by making conscious choices about the way we shop. This story, about a young artisan crafting handmade purses with WorldFinds, is a great example of the quality and caring found in fair trade products.

Nestled within New Delhi, Punam sits among friendly faces and colorful saris, smiling and proud of her contribution. Two years ago, Punam learned to bead from a family artisan cooperative in her neighborhood, and since then they have helped her family earn enough to survive. Punam’s family could not afford the dowry for her marriage -- her mother is sick and her father cannot work regularly due to a chronic illness. Since working, she has been able to pay her dowry as well as her mother’s medical treatments. Working in the cooperative means she is able to provide for herself as well as her family while remaining in a safe, caring environment.

Empowered by a fair wage, a new livelihood, and the preservation of such precious textiles, Punam and a small artisan group craft unique handbags from recycled and discarded sari's exclusively for WorldFinds. They diligently tailor and transform high-quality bags into works of wearable art, embellished with an arrangement of gorgeous sari pieces. Since all of the sari purses are handmade from these recycled sari pieces, each is distinctive from the rest, with variations in patterns, colors, and detailing. Like the artisans, these bags are one-of-a-kind.

Artisan story courtesy of WorldFinds.