Meet Ninh Thi Tuoi, one of our amazing artisans. Our artisans in Vietnam make our Kophinos Basket. Originally from Ning Binh, Tuoi is not only one of our talented artisans but is also a mother to ten children. She finds great pride and joy in her work and says her coworkers are fun, which makes the days go quickly.

Meet Santara, one of our weavers in India. Santara and her coworkers weave our beautiful Jute Rugs and Pillows. A local to Banshako, where our weaving company is located, Santara started working at our company ten years ago because she heard of the employment opportunities for women, which is uncommon in India. When Santara joined the company, she said she did not know much about weaving, but wanted to learn about the techniques and had mastered her first technique after six months of training. Santara is very proud of her daughter, who is currently in college. Santara says her job has brought her so much. She loves being able to contribute to her household income and feels more comfortable making decisions with her family’s money, because she has earned some of it. Our weaving company has helped all our weavers open their own bank accounts. The days are busy, but that helps them move fast, and Satara enjoys her work.

Meet Pham Thi Be, another one of our artisans from Vietnam! Before coming to work as a weaver, Be originally sold vegetables in the market. She would regularly wake up at 3 am to go to work, but still was struggling to provide for herself and her children because she had to cover the charge of the unsold vegetables. She jokes that with all the walking and hard work that goes into making our Kophinos Baskets, she finds it the most effective exercise!

Kessar became a widow at a younger age than anyone should have, but that did not stop her from finding a way to provide for herself and her young children. Kessar has been working as a weaver for over 25 years. She is from India and weaves our beautiful Jute Rugs and Pillows. Kessar works 9-5, but walks to her daughter-in-law’s house for lunch and a “rest” every day. Kessar’s daughters live in villages far away. Kessar’s employment as a weaver has enabled her to provide a life for her family. After her husband passed away, she had to take care of her children and work. Kessar is very proud of “getting her daughters married” but wishes they would have had the opportunity to go to school. Her son obtained his education. “But then I tell myself I could not have done much more.” One of Kessar’s favorite things about working as a weaver is the community. For her first 10 years, she was the only employee. But, now they are “like a big family” and she has many friends. “We stand for each other in times of need, and are fortunate we got the opportunity to work here.”Women like Kessar inspire us! Kessar has faced adversity with a smile and laugh on her face, not only raising her children but financially providing for herself while developing an amazing skill.

Over the past 13 years, Pham Thi Sen has been working as a weaver. She was raised in the village and first started working as a farmer, but would often weave in the evenings. She decided to make it a career and loves that she is able to create an eco-friendly product that preserves her culture while making money and providing for her family. Pham Thi Sen is from Vietnam and makes our Kophinos Baskets.