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Meet the Artisans

Ten Thousand Villages partners with artisans who depend on the international market for sustainable employment. Meet the artisans of Ten Thousand Villages, read their stories and join us in sustaining culturally creative pursuits and promoting fair trade the world over. Click on the map to find artisans by region or country.

Featured Artisans

Come back often to read new artisan stories.

Weed Becomes Economic Winner
A previously ignored and unremarkable fast-growing “weed” has now become a source of economic sustainability for rural women in Tanzania. With their high oil content, the seeds of Tanzania’s jatropha plant have been discovered to be an ideal raw material for making high quality soap.

Training for Success
For artisan Pramila Shrestha, working at Sana Hastakala in Kathmandu, Nepal, is a vital opportunity to earn income to support her two children--a son, 6, and daughter, 1. Shrestha and her husband are both hearing impaired and unable to speak. Having trained her in sign language and sewing, The Deaf Society Forum recommended Shrestha to Sana Hastakala.

Nurturing Potential
For artisans of Blue Mango, an artisan workshop based in Chennai in south India, their work is often more than a job. For artisans like Bothumani, it has been a lifeline. Blue Mango exports to Ten Thousand Villages through MESH, which works with many disabled artisans across India.

Read more artisan stories by clicking on the map to find artisans by region or country.

Find Artisans by Region or Country

Ten Thousand Villages. A Fair Trade Retailer.
Your fair trade purchase of handmade jewelry, home decor and gifts helps improve the lives of thousands of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.