Mahaguthi markets the handicrafts of more than 1,000 Nepali artisans working in 150 workshops. Most of the artisans are from remote and mountainous areas; among them 85 percent are women who use traditional craft skills while working in their own home. Mahaguthi's focus is to promote the well-being of artisans, to provide employment and to embrace and promote the principles of fair trade. Artisans receive medical and education allowances, paid leave and maternity leave. Mahaguthi's parent organization was founded in 1926 with the objective of making the poor self-reliant. The founder was exiled to India and worked with Mahatma Gandhi before returning to Nepal to do rehabilitation work with women and their children. Mahaguthi began marketing crafts in 1984 to support a program for destitute women and children. Ten Thousand Villages has purchased products from Mahaguthi since 2000.