Wanted to tell you about our recent trip to India. We arrived in Kolkata to be greated by the monsoons. This always happens in July so this time we were well prepared. It was great to catch up with everyone in the factory and we were delighted to hear that the CHETNA farmers have now increased their share of ownership in the factory to 20% (up 10%). This is great news – cotton farmers at the very bottom of the supply chain often get a very raw deal but this initiative is helping to balance the profits more evenly throughout the supply chain. Sampling for Spring and Autumn 2010 was in full swing and we know when the new ranges come out that they are going to be better than ever!! From Kolkata we travelled to Delhi where we had great pleasure in visiting the BBA – an organisation that rescues, rehabilitates and ensures education for child victims of slavery, bonded labour, trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Last year we were introduced to this organisation through Suzanne Thomas and we helped to support a project by producing 100 t-shirts for the children at Bal Ashram in Rajasthan. Suzanne is now fund raising in the UK for the BBA. In Delhi we met project co-ordinator Martin Punaks who took us to visit the Mukti Ashram in North Delhi – this is an immediate shelter for children who are rescued from factories in the Delhi and surrounding areas. They are immediately provided with medical help, food, clothing and counselling until they can be reunited with their families. Our visit underlines the need to continue our support of this NGO . We’ll be reporting more on this great project in the next few weeks. A quick visit proceeded with our Jaipur supplier – they were delighted to hear how well the new polka dot ranges had gone down at June’s Bubble London 09. Seven days into the trip it was time to return home . Delhi had now reached 45 degree’s so we were relieved to return back to the cooler temperatures of the Yorkshire Dales!
Tags: Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Children Movement), Chetna Cotton, Fair Trade Clothes, Fairtrade Clothes, ORGANIC BABY CLOTHES, organic clothes, Stop Child Labour
