Fair Trade is more than just paying fair wages. It is a commitment to developing long-term relationships with partner artisans.

At Handmade Expressions, it is our mission to help partner artisans achieve sustainable development by supporting projects that improve education, health care, water, and energy resources in their community. These are essential needs that must be met in order to continuously develop. 

Below are some of the projects we have worked on. With your order of $500 or more, we will contribute 1% of the order value to a project of your choice. We are always interested in hearing your thoughts and ideas to improve the lives of our partner artisans. Check out our past development projects to see how Fair Trade has already changed the lives of thousands of artisans and their families.

Click on the links below for more information!

Million Liter Water Conservation Project

Handmade Expressions and SETU

In early 2012, Handmade Expressions’ India team, SETU, began a sustainable development project to conserve water with the block-printing community who makes our best-selling Eco Shoppers. In August, 2012, a water treatment plant was installed at the artisans’ workshop in Barmer, in western Rajasthan, to be used for production of block-printed fabric. This will save at minimum 5 million liters of water per year! ...continue reading

   

Solar Panel Project. April 2011 

In April 2011, as a community development initiative, Handmade Expressions contributed $6,000 to purchase and install 100 solar lamps throughout 4 villages in the desert region of Rajasthan. The women artisans who benefited from the project work with our partner NGO. This region is very remote with little access to electricity. Handmade Expresions recognized the livelihood issues regarding the lack of electricity and the health hazards of kerosene lamps currently used in the villages... 

Handmade Expressions is working with over 500 artisans across India. Many lack access to potable water, electricity, and other basic services. Their villages are sometimes in hostile environments-such as deserts and  far away from metropolitan areas. A major challenge of living in a remote location is the lack of health care facilities.