The re-wrap co-operatives in South India currently employ 68 women. We provide the co-op members with design input and training, as well as an international market for their products. The technical assistance we give helps them build strong and thorough processes from production to quality control and export.

In March 2009 we took the big step of launching our own co-operative in Mysore, Karnataka, with the aim of empowering underprivileged women from rural areas by giving them skills training and employment. Our selection criteria is wholly needs based and most of the women are sole income earners for their families. In our first year we have trained 57 women in sewing and printing. The women have progressed from training to volume production demonstrating their eagerness to learn and earn. This has been very encouraging for us and based upon the success of this model we opened our second small co-operative in November 2009. We plan to initiate more co-operatives around southern India as we grow.

Ultimately our goal is to form a direct link between the end consumer and the hand that creates the product.