Pinterest is an online pinboard.
Organize and share things you love.
WorldCrafts works with over 60 different artisan groups in over 30 countries around the world. Click on each photo to learn more about their stories.
@WorldCrafts artisan- African Hope Crafts- South Africa- Even though 25 percent of South Africa’s population suffers from AIDS, the people of Cape Town will not let the disease destroy their hopes and dreams. In fact, a Christian job creation program, African Hope Crafts (AHC), specifically reaches out to men and women who are HIV positive and unable to find work. While they create jewelry, purses, scarves, & other items they learn proper health practices & receive encouragement from each other.
1 repin
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Women of Hope-Nigeria-Each day dozens of women, who are either HIV-positive or have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS, gather in Nigeria to sew household items through Women of Hope artisan group. Even though the world says they should be in despair, these women have discovered great joy in making beautiful products together. Through sales of their work they are able to earn a fair, living wage for themselves and their families. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-White Harvest-China-In the rural villages of southeastern Asia men and women meticulously create handcrafts honoring their cultural heritage. Partnering with White Harvest Trading Co. allows people in these economically deprived areas to retain their culture and earn additional income to support their families. For the artisans, each product celebrates their roots and secures a brighter future for their community. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 repin
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Wezandla-South Africa-Living in fear of their ancestors, the Zulu people of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, continually slaughter cows, goats, and chickens as sacrifices. But, the 300 people involved in the artisan group Wezandla, meaning “hands” in Zulu, have the opportunity to break free from this slavery. Each item they bead ¬secures a paycheck for their poor families and the hope of freedom from fear. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 repin
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Village Artisans-India-As a minority group in India, Muslim herdsmen continually face discrimination, making it difficult for them to find jobs. Many were affected by a powerful earthquake in 2005 and suffer with the effects from contaminated water. Artists, mainly men, working with Village Artisans use their talents in jewelrymaking and papermaking to earn an income, which helps them to rebuild their houses and dig deeper, cleaner wells. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
@WorldCrafts Artisan-UEMS-West Bank-As West Bank artisans shape and mold olive wood, they know each unique item means more than money earned. Carved by their hands, each product is inspired. And for these craftspersons, creating their art is not just a matter of shaping a piece of olive wood, it’s a powerful testimony of hope delivered from one generation to another for more than 2,000 years. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 repin
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Treasures from the Heart-Cambodia-Treasures from the Heart trains AIDS survivors to craft handmade items so they can support their families. This fair-trade organization restores self-worth to these artisans, who are rejected by their neighbors and sometimes their own families. The work gives them the hope to live with dignity. With counseling for victims, the organization invests personal time into every artisan it serves. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 repin
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Transformation Project-Indonesia-Every day, as a young girl, Yani attended classes in order to understand what it means to be a Muslim,but had difficulty understanding love.Through some mutual friends, she found a job working as a seamstress at Transformation Project. Every day, the ladies would meet and sew, interacting and loving on each other. Yani was amazed that people could show such kindness and love to her, and she now understands what love is. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
5 likes 2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisans-Thyolo Papermakers-Malawi-The Thyolo papermaking and craft shop provides work for young artisans who have lost their parents to the AIDS pandemic and who now have few other income options. Artisans use proceeds from their work to finish school, to send their children to school, and even to contribute to others in need, including the elderly, widows, and AIDS patients in their communities. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisans-Threads of Yunnan-Although women in Yunnan, China, performed backbreaking field work all day with little rest, they only made 36 dollars a year. Now, with the help of Threads of Yunnan, they are able to use their embroidery skills to make 12 dollars a month. The artisan group also trains women in literacy, hygiene, nutrition, and money management, giving these women a brighter future. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisans-The Well-The talent and tranquillity of the Well artisans belies their astoundingly difficult backgrounds: one was sold into prostitution by her family as a small child; several were teenage bar workers; and another was a single mom with no resources. They have discovered their own innate talent through careful training in Thai arts, and the Well has given them a sense of hope and a positive vision for their futures. #WCArtisans #fairtrade #set1free
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Thai Weave-Thailand-Thai Weave artisan groups create a variety of handicrafts; each item is designed to provide a fair wage to an otherwise impoverished craftsperson. Artisans who are in-need and have a willing heart learn to make jewelry and weave beautiful fabrics. The work allows them to support their families and complete projects at home while caring for their children. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Thai Country Trim-Thailand-For the past 18 years, Thai Country Trim has been a safe haven for battered women to receive emotional and financial support. One woman was constantly abused by her family. They gave her the most chores around the house and told her she was worthless. Now, this woman, along with about 300 other women, is handcrafting items to earn a living and learning to heal from her past. #WCArtisans #fairtrade #set1free
1 repin
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Ergon Handicrafts-India-Many girls and even women in India are viewed as burdens to their families. But through Ergon Handicrafts, women are given the opportunity to be seen as contributors to their families rather than burdens. Ergon is a handicrafts center based in Delhi, India, that seeks to empower women with job skills, income, and confidence through fair-trade employment. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 like 2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-CWJC Rusk County-Texas-Kristina came from a background of abuse and drugs. After crying out to God to save her in her early 20s, she started a new chapter in her life by joining the Christian Women’s Job Corps of Rusk County, Texas. The CWJC of Rusk County exists to give women like Kristina a chance to get back on their feet. They also have the opportunity to earn supplemental income by working in the small jewelry and crafts business at the site. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 like 1 repin
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Tamarisk Tree-China-Prostitution in China is hidden in plain sight and traps many women who are desperate to support their families. The Tamarisk Tree workshop provides women the opportunity to instead earn a living by handcrafting beautiful jewelry. While working in this supportive setting, women are also provided counseling, shelter, and medical care. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 like
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Tabitha House-Guatemala-Through the work of Tabitha House, women’s lives are being transformed in downtown Guatemala City, Guatemala. Before finding work making jewelry and other crafts for Tabitha House, many of the women were involved in prostitution, drugs, or even selling their children on the black market. Now they can better provide food, clothing, and shelter for their families. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Spring Mountain Crafts-China- The women of Spring Mountain Crafts make their beautiful handmade products in a remote and impoverished area of southwestern China. This artisan group offers ethnic minority women a chance to keep traditional craft skills alive and provides sustainable economic benefit to those who would otherwise have few opportunities. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Sauyunan Handicrafts-Indonesia-Sauyunan, a Sundanese word, means “working together for the same purpose.” This goal is the heart of the artisan group that makes these iridescent beaded-egg showpieces. Sauyunan Handicrafts, Indonesia, is comprised of 22 families who carefully create each pastel-colored, jewel-like egg, supporting themselves through their artistry. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Rahab’s Rope-India-When the time came for Mary to leave the orphanage she was deceived by an offer of marriage and found herself instead in a brothel. She escaped and tried to commit suicide multiple times. A member of Rahab’s Rope artisan group found her dying in the street and brought her to the center. Many young women like Mary have found a lifeline at Rahab’s Rope, where they discover new opportunities as they make handcrafted jewelry. #WCArtisans #fairtrade #set1free
1 like 3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Rabuna Fi-Sudan-With deceased or absent husbands, little education, and no job opportunities, the Sudanese women live in despair as they struggle to fill their children’s rumbling stomachs. But artisan guild Rabuna Fi reaches out to these women, encouraging them with words of hope and teaching them to bead purses and belts as well as create hemp journals for their income. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Q Handicrafts-Vietnam-Due to poor hygiene and wartime Agent Orange’s lingering effects, many Vietnamese people are disabled physically and developmentally. Many are uneducated and unemployed. Q Handicrafts began training disabled people in design and production of quality handicrafts. This enables them to develop personal skills, provide for their families, and gain hope. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 like 4 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Proyecto Fe-Guatemala-High in the Guatemalan mountains surrounding Lake Atitlan, a group of Mayan women are busy practicing their art. The local crafts guild contact notes, “The beading on many is so exacting one wonders how human hands . . . could have produced them.” Their very livelihood is a miracle in an area where as few as two out of five children reach preschool age due to malnutrition. The sale of one ornament will feed an artisan’s family for a week. #fairtrade
3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Proverbs 31-Uganda-Widowed. Destitute. HIV-positive. These words could be used to describe the women of the Proverbs 31 artisan group in Uganda. But as they make colorful, attractive beaded jewelry out of recycled paper—you’d never guess—their hearts join together in song and their faces light up with smiles of joy! Sales of their beautiful, handmade items provide badly needed income to meet their families’ most basic needs, such as food and rent. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 likes 3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Priscilla Center-India-Due to the social unrest in parts of India, many traditional weavers were forced to abandon their homeland and work as hired maidservants in the city. There, employers sexually, physically, and verbally abused them. But the Priscilla Center now offers these Indian women a different option. By partnering with the center, the women learn to handloom weave, allowing them to earn a fair wage while staying within their village. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Peaceful Creations-Bangladesh-In a small village in southwest Bangladesh, widows frantically search for work in order to take care of their young children. But for the last several years, Peaceful Creations has partnered with the widows to sell the women¹s handmade baskets and other items. By creating these items, more than 50 widows are now able to stay at home with their children while earning an income. #WorldCrafts #fairtrade
3 likes 2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Parktown BC-Zimbabwe-Despite the economic crisis in Zimbabwe, the members of Parktown BC continue to create handcrafts, hoping to raise money for a new building in which their community can gather and encourage one another. The artisans sew and crochet aprons and weave baskets. Their building is close to completion, and they look forward to rejoicing when it is finally finished. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 repin
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Noorjahan Enterprises-India-Noorjahan, “light of the world” in Urdu, is becoming a light of hope for the villages of India. After Sahid had his truck-his only means of income-stolen from him, he returned home to his village in desperate need. Soon after, Noorjahan Enterprises reached that village and was able to offer jewelry-making work to the ladies of Sahid’s household. The women are now able to provide income for their households. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Noah’s Ark-India-Noah’s Ark is an innovative network of 100 fair-trade artisan groups, representing 600 individuals, across India. All workshops are committed to providing sustainable income in an environment of honesty and integrity. As Noah’s Ark grows it has been able to support schools for artisan children and provide filters for clean water. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Naapok-Nanyok-Tanzania- Although the Maasai women of Tanzania who formed Nanyok are no longer nomadic, their lives revolve around livestock. The five-month dry season kills the grass, leaving the goats to die, meaning no milk for Maasai children. Each eight-strand beaded bracelet or ornament sold creates a savings fund for new goats to replace any that die. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Mother Care Handcrafts-Kenya-This group helps more than 400 disadvantaged artisans earn a fair wage by using their skills in the centuries-old traditions of carving, jewelry making, and basket making. Among the artisans are women who have been rescued from prostitution thanks to the jobs Mother Care can offer. Sales provide guild artisans a way to feed and clothe their families, as well as affording them a chance to hear the offer of eternal life. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Master’s HandiCrafts-Kyrgyzstan-The cultural and artistic traditions of Central Asia have been preserved through the generations as women work together with their mothers and grandmothers creating masterful crafts. These felt, leather, and wool items are as varied as the women who make them.Master’s Handicrafts and WorldCrafts are honored to offer these fair trade treasures to you on behalf of the indigenous artisans in the cities of Kyrgyzstan. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 like 1 repin
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Lydia Cooperative-SriLanka-After the tsunami hit Sri Lanka in 2004, the people of Sri Lanka were devastated, losing loved ones and precious belongings. Even now, many families still live in temporary wooden houses. However, the artisan guild Lydia Cooperative brings the people of Sri Lanka together for a time of restoration. The women come together to sew handbags and share stories of hope. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan- Love Calcutta Arts- India- The scarring influence of the sex trade does not affect just one generation in India. Despairing mothers often leave a legacy of poverty and prostitution to their daughters, who in turn carry on because they know no other lifestyle. #WCartisans #fairtrade
2 likes 1 repin
@WorldCrafts Artisan- Lifetouch Artistry- Indonesia- Slowly and steadily, the Indonesian women weave their threads through dark felt circles onto two pieces of green felt that will eventually house children’s fingers as puppets. The women have teamed with Lifetouch Artistry to create finger puppets of all nationalities, which helps them afford groceries and schooling for their children. #WCartisans #fairtrade
2 likes 3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan- Leather Project- North Africa- The Berber artisans of the Leather Project skillfully craft leather scraps from a furniture and upholstery company into smooth purses, book covers, and book marks which helps them to earn money that supplements their jobs as subsistence farmers and shepherds. #WCartisans #fairtrade
2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan- Lao Looms- Laos- For centuries, the Lu people of northern Laos have been weaving cotton and silk by hand. Every woman learns this skill at an early age. Lu villages even grow cotton and raise silkworms to produce the necessary thread. In the past, the Lu made their own skirts and bedding for everyday use. Today they use their traditional weaving skills to produce other items that can supply much-needed and sustained income for their families. #WCartisans #fairtrade
3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Kingdom Creations-Cambodia-Dire poverty has struck many families in Cambodia, leaving them hopeless. Many women even sell their young daughters for a certain amount of time until they can find a way to make more money. However, Kingdom Creations gives the women a chance to keep their daughters and earn cash by making linen tote bags, bookmarks, satin Christmas stockings, and satin jewelry bags. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 likes 5 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Kanzi-Uganda-Kanzi offers handmade, fair-trade jewelry and crafts from artisans across East Africa. Not only does Kanzi help develop a market for these artisans, it also donates a portion of sales to support orphans and children at risk of exploitation in Uganda, enabling them to get much needed food, clothing, shelter, education, and spiritual care. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
4 likes 2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Igira Impuhwe-Rwanda- Igira Impuhwe means “God is compassionate” in Kinyarwanda.This artisan group lifts women, like Mukangenzi Laurance, out of desperate poverty by making and selling handwoven grass baskets. Each woman in the group is also presented with the life-changing offer of eternal life; Mukangenzi thanks God for changing her life. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 like 2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Himilayan Tapestry-India-Within each stitch of the Himalayan Tapestry artisans’ handiwork is a story of illiteracy, abuse within marriage, and culturally conditioned gender discrimination. These women come with little education but soon learn to quilt, tailor, read, and manage money. They receive money from using their new talents, but more importantly they receive crisis counseling, which brings financial and emotional comfort to their troubled lives. #WCartisans #fairtrade
1 like 3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Higher Ground-Nepal-When June and Leta lost their jobs due to civil unrest in Nepal, they came to Higher Ground bakery. There they were welcomed and trained in the culinary arts but had a secret gift for making jewelry. With little education but an abundance of talent, June and Leta were able to create a new jewelry making branch of Higher Ground that allows women like them to provide for themselves. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
1 like 3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Hearts and Hands-China-In Yunnan Province, China, men and women with disabilities develop new skills and earn income through employment as artisans with Hearts & Hands. Those who are deaf or otherwise physically limited—who previously found little prospect for survival—now realize “plans that will prosper and not harm them, plans for a hope and a future” #WCArtisans #FairTrade
2 likes 3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Good Paper-Philippines-Smokey Mountain in Manila once had a reputation for being the world’s largest open garbage dump. Its name came from the constant plumes of smoke that rose from the spontaneously combusting trash. With support from local religious leaders and the government, poor immigrants who formerly scoured the trash for recyclables now produce creative products in a safe environment and earn a sustainable income. #WCArtisans #fairtrade
2 likes 2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Godavari Women-India-In some villages of India, a woman may not remarry, even if her husband has passed away, forcing them to become the sole providers for their families. Godavari Women, a group of artisans that creates crocheted lace items and tote bags, allows women to completely depend on their artisan skills for their income. They also gain medical insurance, first aid, eye checkups, and free eyeglasses. #WCartisans #fairtrade
2 likes 3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Glad Tidings-Jordan-For centuries, men and women in the Middle East have stitched their stories into a tapestry or carved them into olive wood. These age-old traditions are continuing to flourish with Glad Tidings in Jordan. From each sale of an item, the artisans—who are hearing-impaired or otherwise disabled—can afford to buy precious commodities such as food, clothing, shelter, and education. #WC Artisans #fairtrade
3 likes 2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Freeset-India-Desperate for income to live, thousands of women in northern Calcutta turn to prostitution. These women are set free from prostitution through their work making tote bags and purses. The income each woman earns through Freeset is gained in an understanding community and gives her the freedom to keep her body to herself. #WCartisans #fairtrade
5 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-For Such a Time as This-Afghanistan-As their name implies, the Afghan artisans of For Such a Time as This are unified in both community and purpose. Most Afghan women learn from an early age how to work with a needle and thread and beading. And now they receive further training through For Such a Time as This. Each bracelet, with more than a thousand glass seed beads, is a labor of love and a unique work of art. #WCartisans #fairtrade
3 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Durimi Women-Kosovo-Many Kosovo women were forced to provide for themselves after their husbands and sons, who had been the breadwinners, died in the Kosovo war in 1999. Durimi Women, an artisan group that meets once a week to sew intricate, tatted doilies, allows them to earn money while being encouraged by other women. #WCartisans #fairtrade
1 like 2 repins
@WorldCrafts Artisan-Dorcas-Kazakhstan-Not only do women in the Dorcas group provide the only financial support for their families, they also enjoy a unique fellowship of faith that they do not find anywhere else. Their handicrafts are fashioned using traditional cloths and patterns of the Kazakh, Uzbek, and Uighur peoples of Central Asia. Their products are reminders to pray for the few isolated believers among them. #WCartisans #fairtrade
2 repins
Fetching pins…
