Nepal Fair Trade Jewelry
Mahaguthi, Nepal Jewelry (Nepal Jewellery) craft with a conscience
The foundation for this fair trade jewelry organisation was started by Mr. Tulshi Mehat Shrestha, a legend in social activism in Nepal. Mr. Shrestha was exiled to India in 1920 where he lived with Mahatma Gandhi for four years before returning to Nepal in 1924. Enthusiastic and inspired by Gandhi, Mr. Shrestha started working with deprived women, widows and low caste people.
In 1927, the Nepal Charkha Pracharak Gandhi Smarah Mahaguthi (NCPGSM) school and the Tulshi Mehar Mahila Ashram (TMMA) home for destitute women were established. Thousands of children were raised and educated in the school and hundreds of women were helped back to their feet with vocational training (such as jewelry artistry) and a sense of self worth. Bringing back smiles to these women’s faces was Mr Shrestha’s dream and is now the main trust of the Mahaguthi fair trade jewelry organisation which was established in 1984 as a marketing project to provide financial support to Ashram by selling their fair trade jewelry (fair trade jewellery).
Mahaguthi works to promote crafts and micro enterprises, keeping fairness in heart and mind and professionalism in hand. The organisation works with more than a thousand individual producers, 50% of whom are from remote and mountainous areas. Many of the producers are women who are given the chance to employ traditional skills in their own homes, thus enabling them to generate income. In addition 40% of the income generated by the organisation provides women and children of the Tulsi Mehar Mahila Ashram centre with food, shelter, clothing, health care and education.
The organisation encourages the revival of culture, artistic and craft traditions and upholds fair trade principles. These principles encompass a gender focus on women, payment of fair wages, concern for children, appropriate benefits, safe working conditions, protection and promotion of the environment as well as the promotion of long term sustainability. Being the founder member of Fair Trade Group Nepal, the organisation practices, promotes and advocates fair trade at Regional, National and International levels.
The Nepal jewelry featured ranges from handmade silver jewelry such as silver earrings chandelier style, drop style, dangle style and more as well as traditional pendant jewelry. There are even a few pieces traditional Asian home accessories included. Take your time in shopping these pages and imagine the beauty of Nepal, the Nepalese and their beautiful fair trade jewelry.
“We dream beyond which is possible, what we see today was a dream before.” - Mahaguthi
Nepal Fair Trade Jewelry
