Kathal Kreations, Bangladesh

A resourceful group of women from the river delta country of Bangladesh who use their own skills and their country’s own natural resources to produce this completely handmade product. All paper is handmade and wheat straw, bamboo and jute are hand processed into a form used on these cards. Any assistance given to this native Bengladeshi company with design, marketing, or distribution is done on a volunteer basis. Maria (second from right) is 32 years old and her husband is a carpenter and often us unable to get more than occasional work. With Maria’s card-making earnings, she was first able to buy a fan for their home and move from the slum where they lived to a one bedroom apartment in a better area. This put them near a school where their son, Noyon, 8 years old is going to school for the first time. Minu (second from left) is 19 years old and lives with her widowed mother. She faced the prospect of having to discontinue her schooling due to lack of money, Now, with her card-making earnings, Minu is able to continue her studies.

Click here to see the cards from Kathal Kreations