We met Punam in October, 2011. Punam has been working with Tara Enterprises of New Delhi for two years. She uses the money she makes to support herself, her three small children (ages 2, 3, and 5), and her mother-in-law. Her husband struggled to find work in the small village they had moved to several hundred miles away, so Punam made the move back to her childhood home of Delhi to find work. Her husband was too proud to follow, so he stayed behind, leaving Punam as the sole breadwinner of the household. Tara has provided her with the skills to make jewelry and also offered general education in necessities like healthcare and dental hygiene.

Tara Enterprises is one of the largest fair trade groups in India, with many smaller projects. The project Punam works for, Manjeen Handicrafts, was started in 2000 with seven underprivileged girls from the Delhi Slums.

Today, Manjeen has seven different projects around Delhi working with block printing, mango and shesham wood carvings. Punam is one of 10 young women from the Narocamp slum who are able to finish up their household duties before walking the few steps to their workroom to make jewelry.

Through Tara’s fair trade system, the women set their own prices and schedules for the jewelry they create. Manjeen provides design help and marketing opportunities and is trying to create as much fair trade awareness in India as there is in the West.

With her earnings, Punam will be able to send her children to school, which is one of her biggest dreams.

You can find us at Baksheesh in the Bay Area:
423 First Street West, Sonoma, CA, 95476,
or 1327 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574.