OWP
Trapezoid Patchwork Shoulder Bag- Fair Trade-India
Trapezoid Patchwork Shoulder Bag- Fair Trade-India
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This trapezoid patchwork bag with front flap, and an adjustable strap is a great bag to carry to work or on a casual day out. Multiple zipper pockets, dividers, and an extra cell phone pocket are some of the characteristics of this spacious everyday-use bag.
These bags are handmade by the youth at Lakshya shelter home in Faridabad, India. Lakshya primarily supports children and youth who have run away from their homes. Lakshya sends the younger children to local schooling facilities, and the youth are given vocational training to help earn a living and support themselves. Buy these unique products and support Lakshya's objective of providing better living and educational facilities to these children.
- Measures 11β high x 12β wide x 2-1/2β deep at base
- Double magnetic snap closure
- 1 zipper pocket and 2 open pockets underneath the front flap
- multiple dividers and cell phone pockets inside
- 14β-28β adjustable strap
Handmade in India and Fair Trade imported.
To learn more about the artisans who create these wonderful eco-friendly items and the techniques they use, please click on "About the Artisans" below.ΒΒ
About the Artisans
About the Artisans
Joyeria Semilla meaning Seed Jewelry is a small fair-trade workshop in the Andean town of Villa de Leyva, Colombia. Girasol Taborda, a local artisan and social entrepreneur, started the workshop in the mid-1990s.
Joyeria Semillaβs objective is three-folds; to create new jobs, revive Colombia's handicrafts sector and to motivate locals to better manage their natural resources. The organization works primarily with socially and economically disadvantaged youths, single mothers and people with disabilities in the area. The company offers free training in product design, technical training and marketing to new members. Joyeria Semilla has trained them in the craft of jewelry-making.
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CaΓ±a Flecha or βGynerium Sagittatumβ is a locally found palm tree in the regions of the Caribbean coast. The leaves from this plant are used for making jewelry, woven hats, bags and baskets. The ZenΓΊ Indians were and their descendants inherited the tradition of picking veins of the green palm leaf for weaving. These veins were made into woven hats and other products for their personal use.
The ZenΓΊ culture is said to have existed between 200BC to1600AD. With the arrival of the colonizers in the 16th century, the indigenous community declined of unknown reasons. Today a very small population remains that claims the inheritance of the almost extinct ZenΓΊ tribe. Known for their skills in the construction of major waterworks, canals and irrigation system along with being skilled goldsmiths, examples of their accomplished craftsmanship are found in various museums around the world. Their larger means of subsistence were hunting, farming, fishing and trading.
CaΓ±a Flecha is found in abundance in the region, and hence makes for a sustainable and naturally available raw material for these products. Every bit of the plant is utilized β from using in building walls and roofs in houses to food for cattle and medicinal purposes. It is from the central vein of the leaf that the fibers for weaving are obtained. After the hard surface is peeled off, the fibers are left in the sun to dry and undergo a natural tinting process; these fibers are barely about 1 millimeter in thickness and hence call for a lot of skill and patience to weave with. The dried fibers are then processed for natural coloration - some are boiled with lemon to whiten them and some are treated with mud and boiled with plantain leaves to blacken them. The designs are based on ancient motifs and mathematical representations, which are inspired by the early ZenΓΊ culture.
