Smelling eco-friendly!

When we last visited the eHomemakers’ office, something felt different. In fact, something smelt different! For once the office did not hit our nostrils with the smell of shellac!

Rachel the staff of eHomemakers, informed us that it is because of their weaver’s switch from normal shellac to a non-toxic shellac.

eHomemaker's baskets

The baskets made from recycled paper are always coated with a layer of shellac to ensure its durability. Since the baskets are  stored at the eHomemakers’ office whilst waiting to be sold, the smell of shellac can get quite overpowering.

This switch to non-toxic shellac was done in line with their initiative to be Fairtrade certified. It is a big commitment on both the weavers and eHomemakers as the non-toxic shellac cost 25% more than normal shellac.

Non-toxic shellac

We are definitely impressed with their efforts to produce fair trade items as since we first made contact with eHomemakers in November 2008, we have noted significant improvements in their products such as this switch to non-toxic shellac.

A big thumbs up to the team at eHomemakers! Check out their shop on Elevyn here.

Note: eHomemakers are looking for more shellac options.
Do you know any paint/shellac manufacturer which supplies water-based formula? Do you know contacts in Jotun, and any Japanese paint manufacturers or wholesalers? Please contact Rachel Loo at adminsupport@ehomemakers.net or call 03-77265271 [Mon-Fri].

Photo credits: Top (eHomemakers), bottom (Khing Su Li)

Sweet Dreams in the Post

Whoppeee!

My purchase from Mang Tha arrived in the post yesterday!

Like a child of 12 years who had just received her birthday present, I gingerly tore open the envelope flap, wanting to preserve the envelope in its original state as best as I can.  As I took out my purchase, my heart took a jig as I admired the beautiful purse, lovingly handcrafted by the Chin Refugee women from Myanmar.

This shall be my mom’s Christmas gift.  A truly meaningful gift for someone special.

Product review – Cambodia’s shops

Since our trip in April to help set up some spectacular shops from Cambodia – we’ve since done some beta buys from Malaysia just to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Generally, the biggest challange the shops based in Cambodia has is shipping. National postal service which is fairly cheap does not give a receipt or tracking code for items posted through them, unlike the natioal postal services in most developed countries and even here in Malaysia.

The other alternatives are postal services such as  DHL and EMS which gives a tracking code and sends the items increadibly fast. However the cost of shipping through DHL and EMS is significantly higher.

When we started developing Elevyn, were very excited about the prospects of connecting buyers directly with artisans, or at least with the organizations representing the artisans. What we didn’t except were these challanges such as shipping issues in Cambodia – because we took good shipping services by national postal service for granted.

However such is the reality of directly assisting artisans in third world countries where excellent shipping services comes at a hefty price. And such is the reality of providing full transparency on the pricing that the shops do not manipulate the product price in order to make shipping seem cheaper.

Lets put our thinking caps on to figure out a solution to Cambodia’s shipping issues – in the meantime here’s a personal review of the products we ordered from them!

CANDO CRAFTS CENTER

I can’t get enough of CANDO’s scarves made by the Kreung indigenous people. The motives and meaning behind the motives always reminds me of the beauty of self expression in documenating our culture and state of being.

The pattern you see on this scarf which we bought is called Hadrook, which is the very first pattern they ever weaved. It is also normally very expensive because it is very difficult to weave. This pattern can only be used by elderly women in the cultural ceremony which happens every 7 years. One white and one black buffolo will be killed during this ceremony.

Shipping service: National postal service

Shipping time: 5-6 weeks (posted from a small town near the Kreung villages, 12 hours from the city). No tracking code.

Cambodian Handicraft Association for Landmine and Polio Disabled (CHA)

I heard endless high praises for Khmer silk so when we visited Cambodia, I made sure I got myself lots of it. One of my favourite silk item are these baby booties – which make great gifts to friends with newborns. They say baby’s skin is as soft as silk, so who better to give silk to than the little ones.

Shipping service: EMS

Shipping time: 3-7 days (With tracking code).

Daughter’s Cambodia

I’ve been using my little Messanger Bag since the day it arrived.

What makes this little bag more special is that the cloth used is dyed using natural dyes from forest fruits.

Shipping service: EMS

Shipping time: 3-7 days (With tracking code).

Artisan d’Angkor

We got our silk painting within 1 week of placing the order. It now sits on our office wall, giving the place a cosy feel with a cultural and mythical feel.

Shipping service: DHL

Shipping time: 3-7 days (With tracking code).

New Elevyn Shop: Mang Tha

Let’s extend a warm welcome to Mang Tha, the latest family in the Elevyn fold of shops for good causes.

Mang Tha, which means “Sweet Dreams”, is a program of the KL-based Alliance of Chin Refugees (ACR). Mang Tha works with the Myanmar refugee womenfolk on income-generating activities by producing handmade bags, scarves, purses and decorative items.

The women artisans are taught sewing, knitting and embroidery skills – which they then put to good use by merging traditional art with contemporary designs in their crafts.

Close-up of the intricate weavings by the Mang Tha artisans. Photo © Sze Ning / Elevyn.

It was the elegant designs which prompted us to invite Mang Tha to join elevyn.com – and we’re glad they took us on the offer. We’ve got a few products online already; stay tuned for more!

www.elevyn.com/shop/mangtha/

The look on Elodie, Mang Tha's Program Coordinator when we showed her the online shop says it all! Photo © Sze Ning / Elevyn.

Elevyn Coffee Session

COAC's Dr Colin Nicholas with his presentation, as guests listened intently.

Last Saturday we held a mini “Coffee Session” with a small group of Elevyn friends. The idea was to get people to connect on issues regarding fair trade, poverty, and indigenous causes.

The session was preceded by a talk from Dr Colin Nicholas on the exploitation of Orang Asli crafts. The presentation revealed an eye-opening facet to the issue, hidden in the guise of crafts revivalism and perpetuated by misreporting in the media.

Dr Colin is a founder of the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns. COAC works with indigenous communities in Malaysia to advance their causes, views and issues.

In spite of its name, we didn’t really serve much coffee But there were an assortment of pizzas, sushi and juices to go around.

Many thanks to Dr Colin for taking the time to speak, friends who helped out with the preparations and to all who showed up and offered encouraging support.

We plan to hold another “Coffee Talk” in the near future. A few names have been shortlisted, and we’re looking forward to it already

Interested? Join our Facebook Fan Page to receive updates and invites to the next session.

Photos of the event are in there too.

Meet the Artisans – Malina Soning

Malina Soning and her daughter, Rachel. Photo by Sze Ning.

Malina Soning is the coordinator of Soning Craft, and founder of the SINOMPURU Women’s Group. In this new series on “Meet the Artisans”, we find out more about her background, and her experience selling online via elevyn.com.

Growing Up

Malina grew up being taught the importance of being independent at an early age.

“If you want new clothes, books, shoes and toys, you have to make handicrafts”, was her parents’ contant reminder.

With 8 siblings in the family, producing and selling handicrafts helped Malina through school.

“Only through education, will a life or a community change”, she noted.

Career

Right after high school, Malina took on voluntary jobs to educate children with special needs in Matunggong, Sabah. At that time, on top of daily necessities, she had to support 5 younger siblings in school and her aging parents.

As the project had little budget, and with falling prices of handicrafts, Malina had no choice but to produce as much as she could, even up to hundreds of them, just to earn MYR 500 a month.

Malina then joined an NGO known as PACOS Trust, where she received exposure in community development and experienced her first interaction with computers. Later, her brother opened up a cyber cafe in Kudat in hopes of exposing the local Rungus students to the Internet. It was here that Malina, tasked with managing the business, learnt about the web.

A Sinompuru member collecting sea shells used to make crafts.

Founding the SINOMPURU Group

Around this time, it came to her attention of several families in her village, Kampung Tinangol that were living in poverty. The SINOMPURU Women’s Group was then initiated to support 16 families in the form of materials for craft-making, loans for children’s education and emergency needs.

Driven with a sense of responsibility to the SINOMPURU members, Malina and her sister Mazeline rented a small store in Kota Kinabalu to sell the crafts.

It was then, that they got to know Reita Rahim, co-ordinator of Gerai Orang Asal (Gerai OA) who sells the crafts in Kuala Lumpur on a non-profit basis. Reita also works with the artisans on product quality and uniqueness, on top of providing support to members in need.

Selling Online

Malina had always had a vision to sell online, but encountered numerous difficulties. She was not proficient in English, had no technical expertise nor any knowledge in online selling.

The opportunity to get Soning Craft online happened when Malina got to know Sze Ning through the latter’s field work in Sabah a few years back.

For Malina, the online shop is vital to provide wider market access for the artisans, and to gain further support for the SINOMPURU members – not for charity, but through income earned from honest, hard work and expertise honed over the years.