WorldCrafts, the fair-trade division of Woman’s Missionary Union that develops sustainable businesses among impoverished people around the world, will host a 12-day tour to visit seven WorldCrafts artisan groups in India, March 4–15, 2013.
“Tourists will be able to meet the skilled artisans and tour the artisans’ work sites,” said Andrea Mullins, WorldCrafts director and host of the tour. “They will also experience the breathtaking beauty of India as they visit four cities and some of the most famous and exotic places in the world. This is a first-class tour with a sense of mission.”
The tour begins in Delhi to visit three artisan groups there: Noah’s Ark, Noorjahan Enterprises and Sewa Ashram.
“WorldCrafts artisan group Noah’s Ark is committed to fair trade and to changing lives of artisans through education and capacity building so that they may rise out of poverty,” Mullins explained. “Noorjahan Enterprises is bringing light to Muslim women of India by mobilizing natural gifts for sustainable development. These Muslim women represent one of the least educated, poorest segments of Indian society, yet they are changing their destiny piece by piece.”
“Sewa Ashram is a project of Delhi House Society that has been reaching the poorest of the poor in Delhi for more than 13 years,” Mullins continued. “Their commitment is to provide quality health care, education, microenterprise and microfinance in the context of a loving and supportive community.”
Tourists will leave Delhi and travel by rail to Agra for some sightseeing, including monuments such as the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, before arriving in Jaipur and visiting the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary; Hawa Mahal, a piece of Rajput architecture; and Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory.
While in Jaipur, tourists will visit with artisans at Ergon Handicrafts. According to Mullins, this artisan group seeks to empower women with job skills, income and confidence through employment in fair trade, with all products created from handmade cotton papers.
From there the group will travel to Kolkata, where they will spend the rest of the trip visiting sites of the former British capital of India and visiting with WorldCrafts artisan groups Freeset, Love Calcutta Arts and ConneXions.
“Freeset is a fair-trade business offering employment to women trapped in Kolkata’s sex trade,” Mullins shared. “Within a few square miles of Freeset’s location in Sonagachi, more than 10,000 women stand in line selling their bodies to thousands of men daily. Freeset trains women with new skills for a new job and empowers them with life skills needed to appreciate freedom and provide a brighter future for their families.”
Love Calcutta Arts is also located in the red-light area of the city. This group brings freedom to young girls who would otherwise be at risk of abuse by training them to produce quality cards and bags. In addition to providing economic freedom, they also are able to build their sense of dignity and self-worth.
ConneXions provides opportunities for young women from the slums to receive training and job opportunities. In addition to being trained in tailoring and paper crafts, the women are taught basic English, business skills and values for life.
Space on the tour is limited. Learn more about the trip at WorldCrafts.org/fairtrade.asp. To shop the full line of WorldCrafts products and learn more about artisan groups, visit WorldCrafts.org.
(WMU)
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