impact report 2020
contents
contents why we are here
03
how we create impact
07
the SDG‘s we contribute to
12
reflection 2020
19
supplier principles
27
supply chain
36
producers
43
future goals
57
why we are here
we believe that every human being has the right to create the most beautiful story out of life.
why we are here
why we
are here. We believe that every human being has the right to create the most beautiful story out of life. We all have our own unique story. And every story is different. Sharing stories, living them: that’s what makes life worthwhile. We laugh, we cry, we celebrate, mourn, work, relax, we travel, we care. This is how we create the story of the world. The uniqueness of each person’s story also reveals our differences. Differences between you and me. Let’s welcome each other’s story. Bridging the difference, without changing one another. Without trying to write someone else’s story. That’s quite a challenge. Because the more diverse the stories, the more distance you can feel. Do you dare to connect, even if you do not (yet) recognize yourself in the other? We believe that we are here to discover your unique story. Knowing it gives you peace and meaning. We pave the way for all those unique stories. We connect them. And we support and encourage you to persevere. To live your story, embrace it, and spread it to the world. That’s how you live life to the fullest and find your purpose on earth. Word for word you’ll find your purpose in life: the lines of your own story. A Beautiful Story.
why we are here
our core values
are our compass. Along the way we’ve learned many lessons, they became our guide: our core values. They are our compass: for the products we make, for the people who work with us, for the way we are interacting with our community, for the way we tell our stories.
Yourself. It’s the most beautiful thing. To accept yourself, with all your flaws. Stand up for who you are, for your principles. Stick your neck out. Dare to make mistakes, and dare to own up to them.
There can be no happiness without connection. We feel connected to the world, to each other, to our retailers, to our manufacturers, and to our clients. From this connection flows compassion. We are loving, attentive, and personal. And we treat each other as equals.
Think happy thoughts and you can fly. We’re pretty down to earth but Peter Pan taught us to also believe. We believe that everything you pay attention to, will grow. You will come closer to fulfilling your dream if you pay attention to it. Every. Day. Again. And again.
You’re thinking happy thoughts every day. You’re paying attention to your dreams. But you are still stuck. That happens sometimes. But we never give up. We hold on to our dream and to our principles. We are realistic enough to let go. To slightly change our plans. We’ll get there, one way or the other.
how we create impact
we’ll get there together.
how we create impact
how we
create impact. lucky jobs
lucky tools
Living Wage Plus Life long learning Skills for at work & at home
Creating lucky tools Positive stories Staging role models
empowered artisans
encouraged consumers
(Financial) independence Role model in the community Voice & decision making power Confidence
Confidence Growth mindset Purpose & dreams Vulnerability Dare to ask for help
co-creating
Long term collaboration Coaching Ethical sourcing
independent enterpreneurs (Financial) independence Leadership skills Purpose & long term goals
how we create impact
we make lucky tools to create lucky jobs.
A Beautiful Story sells jewelry, greeting cards, and gifts with a special meaning. They are lucky tools: a stone to give strength or wings, a bracelet for luck, a card to offer comfort. They are made on the other side of the world. Not just by manufacturers far away, but by craftsmen and women who are a part of us. For them, our products have a very direct meaning: a reasonable income, a roof over their head, food on the table and independence.
a lucky job
A job that enables you to live a fulfilled life. It is continuous work in a safe and healthy environment and provides a ‘living wage plus’. This means a steady income, a roof over your head, food on the table, healthcare and a good school for your children. Moreover, it empowers you to develop yourself and make the most out of your life.
co-creating
Co-creating is not just working together. It is about creating a win-win business with the shared goals and values. We work with our suppliers in long-term relationships. This way we create stable impact. We choose producers who employ people from vulnerable communities. Working circumstances must be fair and safe. Together we make improvements in our supply chain. We learn from each other. We grow together.
a lucky tool
All of our handmade items have a meaning, both to the giver and receiver. The meaning comes from the gemstone or the symbol. In the countries where we sell and use our products, we share lucky tools and positive stories to support people to have a growth mindset, be vulnerable and realize their purpose and dreams.
how we create impact
we make lucky tools to create lucky jobs. making time
sold in 2020
67 minutes
9576 pieces
a living wage plus
Durga receives 23% more salary than the minimum wage in Nepal.
materials
Production of this bracelet in 2020 required 694 kg of REACH certified glass beads.
a lucky tool
Gemstone with a meaning. Tiger eye reassures you. Just follow your instincts.
a lucky job
For Durga, 29 years old, mother of a 11 year old son, can take care of her son and has developed herself from ‘assembler’ to ‘finisher’ on her job.
handmade
Sandcasted charm, bead crocheting.
the SDG’s we contribute to
empowerment is independence. Nimdiki Sherpa
the SDG‘s we contribute to
the SDG’s
we contribute to. The Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. The 17 Goals were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which set out a 15-year plan to achieve the Goals. With A Beautiful Story, we focus on the following SDG’s:
www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda
the SDG‘s we contribute to
the SDG’s
we contribute to. no poverty
We invest in long term relationships with our partners, support them in developing their business and taking steps towards living wage plus for all workers to reduce poverty.
quality education
We work on living wage plus, because we believe high quality education should be included in the costs of living for our artisans. That is what our workers highly value to create a good future for their children. High-quality education can contribute significantly to the development of children in developing countries. Many of which are still out of school today.
good health & wellbeing
We invest in good, safe and healthy working conditions at the workshops of our suppliers. In the countries we sell our products, we want to support people to have a growth mindset and be vulnerable, to realize their purpose and dreams.
gender equality and women’s empowerment
Many women have vulnerable positions in the communities and countries we work in. We see women as an important backbone of the economy and households. When women thrive, their children do as well. Working women are an example to the younger generations. They gain personal confidence and a better position in their families. We believe that women should have equal opportunities as men.
the SDG’s in reality.
Tulashi, maker of lucky tools (37): “My aspiration is to have a retirement saving, because nowadays you do not see many children looking after their parents. If I’m able to save enough and retire properly, I would be happy.”
the SDG‘s we contribute to
the SDG’s
we contribute to. decent work & economic growth
We contribute to long-term and life changing jobs, that are needed for sustained and inclusive economic growth. We track and measure the amount of lucky jobs that we are able to create together with our partners.
sustainable cities and communities
We work with artisans that use low-impact production methods and stimulate them to minimize their (negative) impact, by sourcing more and more low-impact materials, and tracking and monitoring material (and waste) streams.
reduced inequalities
A lucky job is a long term and life-changing job. It enables people to ignite independence and enjoy a more solidary, understanding and equal society in the long term. This is how A Beautiful Story wants to contribute to societies in which everybody gets the same opportunities to make the most out of life.
responsible consumption and production
We source from impact driven suppliers in long term partnerships. We want to further grow the share of sustainable production methods and materials to create products with positive impact. We want to share as many positive stories about our products and artisans as possible, and to engage consumers in making the right and most impactful decisions.
the SDG’s in reality.
Rajan, maker of lucky tools (44): “I just want my kids not to struggle, like I struggled in the past. I want the best for them. For myself I would like to have a better financial situation and build a house. Being financially stable is my biggest dream.”
reflection 2020
if you want to go fast, go alone. if you want to go far, go together.
reflection 2020
reflection 2020.
For A Beautiful Story, 2020 was all about connection. The Covid-19 pandemic has posed many challenges to us, our producers and our retailers. We needed to keep a strong connection with our producers, intensify contact with our valuable retailers, expand our brand through our website and genuinely stay in touch with each other. Without this strength we would not have made it. We had to re-connect with our core values and put each one of them into practice. At the start of the year, we were ready for the big jump; the only way was up. Until the world made us calm down and reflect, re-connect and persevere. Despite this challenging situation we have maintained all jobs and created 20 new long-lasting jobs in 2020, totaling 123 jobs at the end of 2020..
125
100
75
50
25
0
2007
2009
2015
2017
2018
2019
2020
reflection 2020
how we continued despite covid-19. overcoming lockdowns
Our suppliers have proved to be extraordinarily flexible to the situation: they overcame 12,5 weeks of lockdowns in Nepal. In the meantime, they managed to set up new structures to work locally from home, while taking health measurements very seriously (daily sanitizing, temperature measuring when entering the workshop, no sharing of food etc.). Business wise our continuous orders were crucial for them.
online webinar
Due to, but also thanks to, the Corona-distance, we have prepared our first online webinar, which was seen by 621 retailers. This was a great way to introduce our new SS21 collection and reconnect to our retailers, including stories about our impact and co-creation with our suppliers.
reflection 2020
how we dealt with covid-19 as a team.
co creating from a distance
Our collection AW20 had just been finished in Nepal by Esmee (designer) and Caroline (buyer) when the pandemic broke out. The next collections SS21 and AW21 have been developed by co-creating from a distance, and due to our strong bonds with our producers this worked out very well.
esmee
our designer
meena
artisan, quality control
connected from a distance
How do you surf unexpected waves? How do you face challenges that you hadn’t known before? Our answer was to stay connected as a team. Before Covid entered the world, our team was like a small family in our main office in Amsterdam. But suddenly we were all apart. Technology served our needs. We set up a management team to guide all departments, as well as a strict meeting rhythm.
reflection 2020
273879 lucky tools sold in 2020.
product categories: bracelet 33% necklace 20% gemstome card 18% earrings 10% jewelry postcard 6% ring 6% brooch 3% anklet 2% greeting card 1% glasses cord 1% carddeck 1%
123 lucky jobs
reflection 2020
how we showed
that every purchase contributed. we created 121.144.805 minutes of craftwork
We wish to make buyers aware of their contribution to the lucky jobs we create together. We created a system to calculate the needed minutes of handwork for each product. On our new website, which we launched in July 2020, you can see very precisely how many minutes of work you contribute to with your purchase. This is even more apparent than the price of the product.
this product requires 26 minutes of handwork
reflection 2020
how we improved our partnerships. 2020 business sustainability projects
In 2020 we maintained and extended the strength of the relationships with our suppliers by the following projects: • We finished the coaching project of Beads for Life with the aim to increase their independence and selfsufficiency in the future. • We have worked together with Artisans Workshop to improve their gold and silver plating process and to obtain a more advanced machine.
code of conduct
We have continued to work on our Code of Conduct and Social Compliance System, a base line which we finished in 2021, with support of Rainbow Collection and subsidized by MVO Netherlands.
new production partners
We have doubled our far away suppliers with long-term collections from 3 to 6 partners. We have started to co-create new long-term collections with new producers: • Beads Home, Kathmandu Nepal: bracelets for our Classics collection and corporate customers. • Seet Kamal, Jaipur, India: 3 styles of Notebooks made of shredded cotton waste from the fashion industry. • CRC, Calcutta, India: Bottle Stoppers and Symbol Bracelets with their brass specialists.
supplier principles
we are family, we care, we share, we co-create. Cathelijne Lania
supplier principles
we select our suppliers
based on the following principles.
long term relationships
impact-driven collaborations
supply chain transparency
fair and safe working conditions
We work with a small supplier base with partners that we know really well. This way we can control our supply chain better, have trusting relationships and set-up projects together on important topics. When expanding our collection (categories), we create long-term categories, so artisans can be assured of a steady income now and in the future.
A transparent supply chain is a precondition for ensuring good social and environmental practices. We map all partners within our supply chain, and aim to know where and how our items are made and where the materials come from.
We work together with production partners who are founded to make a positive impact on the lives of their employees and the environment. We prefer to work with producers who focus on marginalized target groups like women, maintain specific traditional handicrafts or use environmentally friendly materials. We monitor our partnerships to ensure and follow our own contribution to lucky jobs.
Contributing to lucky jobs means to ensure good working conditions. We want artisans to put their skills and talents to work in a safe and healthy way. Their rights should be respected and health risks should be minimized. Moreover we make sure that the people who make our products are being paid a living wage plus.
supplier principles
living
wage. We think every world citizen deserves a living wage. This is the basic standard we provide for the producers. This means that in a standard working week - of no more than 48 hours – every A Beautiful Story artisan is able to buy: • • • •
food
Food for him or herself and family Pay the rent Pay for healthcare, clothing, education and transportation Have a small amount of savings for when something unexpected happens
housing
health care
clothing
transport utilities
supplier principles
living
wage plus.
To take living wage to the next level we are working towards a living wage plus, which entails extra benefits for our artisans on top of minimum requirements: • • • • • • • •
Access to quality education Capacity building activities Medical check-ups & support Child Care Facilities Pension and Provident Fund Paid Maternity/Paternity above the required minimum Interest Free Loans Salaries paid despite their output (non-competitive producers)
education We support our producers to make sure 100% of the children of their employees receive quality education - going beyond public schooling.
food housing education (EXTRA)
health care
clothing savings (EXTRA) transport utilities
Watch a video about living wage plus here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWnz7Me3Gtc
savings We work with our producers on special savings schemes for their employees.
supplier principles
how we defined
a living wage plus. Every country is different and every local situation requires another approach to make social impact. Starting in 2018, we obtained support from impact-agency Rainbow Collection to define our impact measurement strategy. We started to investigate what our local craftspeople and managing staff in Nepal considered a ‘good’ income that covers the basic costs such as food, rent, medical bills, school fees etc. We also wanted to know how satisfied they were with their current work, and what they think could be improved. We investigated this by: • 51 workers filling in a household-list of costs during a month for their household • 45 workers filling in a questionnaire about their work • Undertaking interviews with 12 workers and 4 managers at the different workshops to get more background information about their job and their wishes to progress and live a beautiful life. From this research, we concluded that the salaries provided should not only cover basic needs, ‘a living wage’, but also for the most mentioned wish of all workers: to provide for quality education and thus, a future for their children. At the same time, many people shared that they often found it difficult to save money and cover unexpected costs, such as medical bills, so we also decided to prioritize the ‘saving’ aspect.
supplier principles
a living wage plus in nepal.
Minimum wage, as defined by Nepali law, is NPR 13.450 (€97) per month for unskilled labour in 2019. What came out of our research was that the total monthly family costs in Nepal are on average NPR 41,091 (€296). Dependent on the amount of earners in one family (often extended families), the individual living wage is NPR 15.219 with 2,7 earners per family (€107) up to NPR 20.545 with 2 earners (€145). This includes the costs for high quality education and the possibility to save. Conclusions from our main Nepali producers (Beads for Life, Artisans Workshop and Beads Home) are: • 100% of our artisans receive a (“conventional”) living wage • 80% of our artisans receive a ‘living wage plus’, meaning that their monthly total income exceeds their total monthly expenses, including quality education and savings. • It is our goal by 2023 that 100% of our artisans receive a living wage plus. • In interviews, 21% of the workers say their monthly income offers a good, perceived living standard. They have no difficulties paying for their expenses, and they even start to experience financial independence. This is also reflected in the 12% of workers that are able to set some money aside for savings today. • Still, 15% of the Nepali workers says they need a loan to cover their expenses. These workers on average have more children that they need to provide for and send to school.
+10-49%
€
€
€
€
minimum wage
living wage
living wage plus*
supplier principles
a living wage plus in india.
Our suppliers in India are located in Calcutta and Jaipur. We have started to create new collections more intensively with our Indian producers in 2020; however, we have not received the chance to investigate the living wage levels for those local circumstances yet.
+381%
€
€
€
€
€
€
€
€
€
minimum wage
living wage
living wage plus*
According to the Global Living Wage Coalition (GLWC), in India, legal minimum wages in urban regions are Rs. 4926 (€55), while living wages are Rs. 15.570 (€175). This means minimum wages are only 32% of living wages (to compare: in Nepal the minimum wage is set at living wage level). We will investigate what can be considered a living wage ‘plus’ in the working environment our producers work in*. By comparing the current wage levels paid at our suppliers, to the cost of living of families including high-quality education (private schools) and savings, we can determine what the share is of Indian artisans on the wage level that we aspire. Apart from the wages, we also take into account other social programs or secondary labor conditions producers offer that contribute to the creation of ‘lucky jobs’.
supplier principles
future goals
in creating lucky jobs. The ‘lucky jobs’ and living wage plus concepts will evolve in time, depending on the cooperation with our co-creators and outcomes of our ongoing steps towards transparency. Our goal is to co-create 1000 long-term and life-changing jobs in a fair and safe working environment by 2025, including living wage plus. Steps: • Realize a living wage plus for all workers who work at our direct suppliers in Nepal in 2022. • For new co-creating partners we will focus on our ‘living wage plus’ goals as well, while the local situations in new countries may pose new challenges and opportunities. We aim to have an action plan for new (2020) suppliers in 2022 and have > 80% of the workers earning a living wage plus in 2023.
supply chain
what brings the magic to a lucky tool.
supply chain
creating a transparent supply chain.
We want to source our products and the materials we use ethically. If we want to assure that we contribute to the creation of lucky jobs and avoid any human rights violations in the production of our products, we have to dive deeper into our supply chain. As long as we have a clear idea of all levels in this supply chain, we can determine steps for improvement and goals for sourcing and transparency towards our customers. To make sure we take the right steps, we documented this by setting up a sourcing manual, including our sourcing principles, risk assessment and steps towards creating a completely transparent supply chain. This is what we already determined: • We know 100% of the producers of our lucky tools: they are our direct partners (tier 1 suppliers). • We know the material suppliers that account for > 80% of our 2020 orders. These are our tier 2 suppliers. • We conducted a risk assessment of all materials we use. We determined what our next steps should be to obtain 100% traceability of all materials. We want to make sure our products are low-risk, and our risk assessment pointed out the raw materials that need most attention to realize this. Now we need to trace back all risk materials to the regions of origin. This is how we will ensure to only source low-risk materials and fibers used in our products.
supply chain
using craftwork
and sustainable materials. In all our lucky tools one of the requirements is that they are (partially) handmade. Traditional techniques and craftwork that are passed on from generation to generation are given preference. Moreover, we make conscious decisions in the materials we use: we prefer recycled or environmentally friendly (and preferably certified) materials. In some cases this is a challenge, so we have developed a material guide to take actions in our sourcing and the transparency of the raw materials used in our products step by step. This plan is implemented in 2021.
creating a
lucky tool.
Watch the co-creation of our lucky tools here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyc3lK3fMpg
supply chain
making of the glitter bracelet
in 45 minutes.
3.
Add the small gemstone on the small wire and the ring with nametag.
2. Make the closing
ring and the name tag.
1. Make the sandcasted
charm: this is an ancient technique that makes use of sand, wax, fire and metal. At first, a ‘masterpiece’ is made which is reused again and again. This figure is placed in a mold of sand. Then the hot brass is poured in. If you open it up, the charm comes out. After this, the charm needs to be finished by filing, polishing and plating.
5.
Add the handmade coin and 2 faceted brass beads.
9.
Add the round brass beads at the end of the threads and close and finish it by burning the ends, and the knot is closed and finished by burning the ends.
6.
Add the small ring with the small gemstone and name tag.
12.
Pack the bracelet.
4. Beading in a pattern > When
beading, the small beads with tiny holes are added to a sewing thread. This requires a lot of concentration and precision. When the beads may be placed randomly, the women can move their needle through a box of the colored beads mix to add them on the needle. However, when a specific pattern is required, every bead needs to be counted and placed in the correct order on the needle.
11.
7. Slide knot closing >
The slide closing on thread bracelets is made with the flat knotting technique and this has to be done very carefully in order to make the closing slide correctly.
Add two paper hangtags on the cord to the small ring. Add the barcode sticker to the paper hangtag.
10. Final quality check. 8.
Make the thread spiral twist by hand before the slide knot closes. Measure it and make another stopper knot in desired length.
supply chain
how it becomes a lucky tool.
The story of Martine Brander left us without words. powerful and symbolic
“4 years ago, my daughter Florine’s best friend turned out to be seriously ill. Luna, that’s her name, was only 5 years old and had cancer. A shock from here to, well, Nepal. In my grief and desperation I went looking for a powerful and symbolic present to give to Luna’s mother. In my favorite store ‘Leef’ in Meppel I discovered the beautiful, symbolic jewelry from A Beautiful Story. Everything came together: strength, love, comfort. I was deeply moved when I discovered there was also a range with moons and moonstones. Luna, obviously, means moon. And, apart from Luna, I had just set up a foundation called Moonshine. It couldn’t get more symbolic. So I bought a beautiful, delicate necklace with a moon, for Luna’s mother.”
jewelry with meaning
“In the year that followed, I brought gifts regularly. At important moments, and also when hopeful medical test results came in. I always chose something based on the meaning of the gemstone. Whether that was strength, or confidence or comfort, I always came back to A Beautiful Story.”
for the giver as well
“What I really love about the brand, besides their mission, which is very powerful and loving, is that the jewelry is very symbolic. It’s not just the one who receives it, who is moved by it. Also the one who gives it. The following year it became clear that Luna wouldn’t get better. At that time she was 7 and a half. Florine and Luna were best friends. You can imagine what an enormous impact it had on Florine. She picked out another moonstone bracelet and gave it to Luna and her mother.”
sweet gesture
“I’ve been told that Luna’s mother drew incredible strength from those little beautiful and sweet comforting pieces of jewelry, brooches and other things. On Christmas Eve 2017, Luna passed away. I still visit Leef often. And I always pick out a card or another sweet item that solaces, items from A Beautiful Story. I am connected to the brand in a very emotional, but also grateful way. I met Cathelijne once at a reading and told her that she probably doesn’t realize how many people are touched at the darkest moments in their lives by such a sweet and beautiful little gesture from A Beautiful Story.”
moonstone female wisdom protection personal growth
producers
together we share the passion for making positive social impact.
producers
where
we produce. Beads Home Kathmandu, Nepal
Westpack Denmark and Dongguan, China
Beads for Life Kathmandu, Nepal
Seet Kamal International Jaipur, India
Artisans Workshop Kathmandu, Nepal
Giftsland Kathmandu, Nepal
Get Paper Industries Kathmandu, Nepal CRC Exports Calcutta, India
namaste: the light within me bows to the light within you.
producers
why we produce in nepal.
Nepal is not the easiest place to work in, but we have lost our hearts to the people of Nepal. We would never leave them to find more convenient circumstances or cheaper products somewhere else. A few facts about the circumstances we work in in Nepal: •
Cultural: Nepal is a rural, multi-ethnic, and multilingual country, with a total of 125 castes and ethnic groups and 123 languages (ILO 2018).
•
Poverty: 24% of the people live below the national poverty line. Even if they work (informally), their circumstances are often poor. 96.2 percent of the population is involved in the informal sector (ILO 2018).
•
Working population: The young working population is growing faster than employment opportunities. This results in a risk of working informally under uncontrolled circumstances, and migration of young people (ILO 2018).
•
Legal minimum wage: Nepal has one national minimum wage that is revised every two years and grows with an average of 4%. However, costs of living rise even more (ILO 2020).
•
Geographic: Border on the north with China and with India in the south, east and west. The geographic location with the Himalaya mountains, and laying on the friction zone of the two earth plates makes it prone to earthquakes, of which two heavy ones hit Nepal in 2015. The geographic situation with limited national resources means that India still has a lot of (political and economical) influence on Nepal.
•
Climate: During some periods of the year there is a water scarcity (December - February), and in other periods, floods due to the monsoon season (June-September). Water has to be managed wisely, even more with production processes that require a lot of water, such as textiles and paper.
•
Politics: From only 28 May 2008, Nepal is a Federal Democratic Republic, abolishing the 240-year old monarchy, after a decade of civil war. Today Nepal has a President as Head of State and a constitutionally headed Prime Minister heading the Government. Since 2015, the President of Nepal is a woman, Bidhya Devi Bhandari (welcomenepal.com).
•
Human rights: In Nepal, there are risks of human right violations in terms of freedom of association, working conditions and fair wages. Forced labor is also an occurring risk, even more with migrants or women, who are especially vulnerable to become a victim of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Moreover, child labor rates are very high: still 1.6 million children are working (ILO 2018).
producers
meet
beads for life. In a workshop with a beautiful view over the city of Kathmandu, Beads for Life is working on making talented women independent by offering them jobs and training in jewelry making. The organization aims to invest in skills to create financial independence and economic security. A Beautiful Story has been working with Beads for Life since 2008. Together we develop and produce the classics and trend collections of “lucky tools”. Handcrafted jewelry with fine glass beads and semi-precious gemstones. Beads for Life is like a big family and very worker-minded. If needed, they support their workers financially, by offering loans free of interest. The workshop offers medical help when needed, childcare at the workshop and support for quality schooling. Specialty: crocheting, beading and high-quality finishing Co-creating since: 2008 # workers: 71 (of which 56 artisans)
Nimdiki Sherpa
Owner and Manager of Beads for Life
dare to be
Nimdiki wishes to give any women an opportunity, disregarding age, caste, origin or religion. Every employee should be free in who he or she wants to be. Watch Nimdiki and Beads for Life here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlcPNrx19YI
producers
artisans
workshop. Artisans Workshop creates high-quality handicrafts and silver jewelry and is also a long term producer, located in Kathmandu, Nepal. Sanjaya, owner of Artisans Workshop, is always looking for beautiful and sustainable materials to work with. Artisans Workshop supports workers financially when needed, by advancing payments for them to invest in housing, for example. In the workshop, workers are involved in meetings and talks on fair, safe and healthy working conditions. All workers are equally involved in this to create the best possible work environment. In obtaining raw materials, Artisans Workshop prefers to make use of recycled materials. Any silver item that has been returned by A Beautiful Story is remade into a new lucky tool. For casted brass items, the craftsmen make their own brass to make it as pure as possible and free from any kind of harmful chemicals. The brass also can be reused and recycled. Specialty: sandcasting, stamping, polishing, finishing of brass and silver (parts). Making complete jewelry and handmade (lokta) paper goods. Co-creating since: 2010 # workers: 56 (of which 32 artisans)
Sanjaya Chitrakar Owner of Artisans Workshop
never ever give up
As difficult as conditions in Nepal sometimes are - an earthquake, political instability, roadblocks - Sanjaya always finds a way. Is his motorbike taken by the police in a roadblock? He walks for half a day. Is all traffic prohibited. He arranges a vegetable cart to transport the charms to Beads for Life. The goldsmiths of Artisans Workshop are loyal. That is an exception in Nepal. It is because Sanjaya always treats them well. He is there for everyone, he helps them out when they are stuck. He is our inspiration for the term ‘A Beautiful Story family’.
producers
beads
home. Located in Nepal (Kathmandu), Beads Home makes Classic lucky tools for A Beautiful Story. The organization offers work to many home-based artisans that are able to use their unique skills in hand-making and crafting. Beads Home creates a positive impact for female workers by offering flexible employment opportunities. This is a specific need, according to Rohit, owner of Beads Home. Especially for elderly, single women or women that need to be home to take care of other family members. They prefer not to lose travel time, and decide for themselves how much work they can accept. If there is more demand, the organization just engages more workers Specialty: roll-on (Jacky) bracelets, beaded bracelets Co-creating since: 2020 # workers: 7 employees + 300 registered home based workers
Rohit Ahmed
Owner and Manager of Beads Home, known as the ‘king of the roll-on bracelets’
dare to be
Rohit’s motivation to work with home-based women is genuine. It is not based on economic or practical reasons, as it requires a lot of coordination; it’s aim to offer flexible work to the women working with him is at the core of his business model.
producers
anouk
versteegh. In 2020 in the midst of the Corona crisis, we found our local connector: Anouk. Anouk lives in Nepal, speaks Nepali and has a lot of experience in supporting fair and sustainable brands with the manufacturing of their products in South Asia. As a person with a heart for fair and social (labor) practices, an entrepreneur herself, and a catalyst for the development of local entrepreneurship in Nepal, she is our perfect match. Anouk coaches our producers in their productivity and efficiency and supports us in the sourcing of more sustainable materials. With the current challenges in sourcing all kinds of materials, she is of great value to keep track of our orders and to stay well connected with our producers.
Anouk Versteegh Our local connector
connection
Anouk is a real connector. She knows how to connect culturally, and she knows which local challenges our producers cope with. Moreover, she has an extensive network of social entrepreneurs that all have the same goal: to progress and develop their country Nepal in an honest and fair way.
be the change you want to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi
producers
why we produce in india.
India is a very diverse country full of beautiful handicrafts. We love to expand our producer range and work with more craftsmen in other countries than Nepal. A few facts about the local circumstances we work in in India: •
Poverty: India is the world’s second-most populous country. 22% of the people live below the national poverty line.
•
Working population: Many women are employed in the (textile) industry and manufacturing. Many of them are first generations of working women, however, the working context is often poor. India has the highest number of working children in the world (14 million).
•
Legal minimum wage: India has set a legal minimum wage rate. Compared to Nepal, this is part of a more complex system with multiple minimum wage rates. Occupational rates are combined with sectoral or geographical rates, leading to a “mixed” and less clear-cut system (ILO 2020). Minimum wage is often not enough to provide for a complete family.
•
Climate: 1 billion people live under severe freshwater scarcity at least one month per year. Of these, 180 million people face severe water scarcity all year round. India suffers severe water and air pollution.
•
Politics: India is the world’s most populous democracy, and a parliamentary republic with a multi-party system.
•
Human rights: In India, the risk for labor rights violations and corruption is high. There is very little access to trade unions, which makes it very difficult to stand up for labour rights. For homeworkers, the control of labour standards is especially critical.
producers
crc
exports. CRC has been a producer for A Beautiful Story since 2017, with a product development team that is not afraid to think out of the box. They have been producing the jute cushions for our display boxes and lately the Bottle Stoppers and new Symbol Bracelets are developed by CRC. CRC is a World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) certified producer, located in Calcutta, India. CRC works with different workshops and home-based artisans to create beautiful products, using traditional craft techniques and containing sustainable materials, such as recycled textiles and metals. The artisan groups are supported by giving access to microfinance, to build workshops or buy tools that they require to make these products. CRC sees the poverty in artisanal communities and strives to create opportunities for the marginalized. CRC encourages artisans to sharpen their talents, imparts training to expand their talent pool and improves earnings. CRC works in a transparent and accountable way and gives producers and workers opportunities to have a voice within their organizations.
Biswajit Das
Projects and products
Specialty: jewelry, textiles, brass Co-creating since: 2017 # workers: 21 office employees + 26 producer groups with different specialties Certification: WFTO
believe in magic
During the pandemic, CRC proved resilient. Some artisans would stay in the workshop itself when the lockdown was imposed. They were given a safe and healthy place to stay, including two daytime meals and consistent work. Biswajit believes: Love your work and trust yourself, you will enjoy your responsibility instead of stress.
producers
5. DECKLING & CALENDARING
seet
5. HAND-PULPING FOR TEXTURE
kamal. Our partner Seet Kamal produces paper crafted notebooks and other products in Jaipur, India. The ‘katran’ paper they use is made of shredded cotton left-overs from the fashion industry. Katran is one of the upcycled materials used by Seet Kamal. Seet Kamal is strongly focused on creating circular and closed-loop products. The company works on the reduction of energy, water and raw materials across the whole value-creation process. Their circular products are certified by acknowledged sustainability standards, such as GRS (global recycled standard) and FSC. They produce without any harmful or banned chemicals. The organization works with locally generated raw materials. Seet Kamal cares for its workers and believes in inclusive growth. Specialty: circular paper products Co-creating since: 2020 # workers: 450 Certification: GRS/FSC/SA8000/SEDEX 4 PILLAR AUDIT Social Programs: supporting of schools and food banks, and a special support system during the Covid-19 pandemic.
6. DRYING & FINISHING
6. DRYING & 6. DRYING & FINISHING FINISHING
6. SCULPTING & MAKING
producers
meet our project based co-creators.
Apart from the producers that create our various collections, we have long-term partnerships that are project-based. The nature of these relationships remains the same, but the orders are project-based and might become more continuous in the future. These producers have made products or packaging materials in 2020:
Westpack • • • • • •
Country: Denmark and China Specialty: jewelry boxes and wooden displays Co-creating since: 2015 # workers: 145 in Denmark and 24 in Asia Social Programmes: local school projects, BSCI audits in Asia. Certifications: FSC, own compliance policy and BSCI audited partners
Get Paper Industries • • • • • •
Country: Nepal Specialty: boxes and other paper goods Co-creating since: 2017 # workers: 160 Social Programmes: 200 scholarships for girls each year, program against girls trafficking Certifications: WFTO. ISO 9001: 2008 / 14001:2004
Giftsland • • • • • •
Country: Nepal Specialty: handmade lokta paper products Co-creating since: 2021 # workers: 40 in the office and 260 people in the different producer groups Social Programmes: co-financing of local schools and a water infiltration plant and medical centre in the neighborhood. Certifications: WFTO
future goals
believe in magic.
future goals
our goals for 2025.
Our goals for lucky jobs
• 100% of our workers earn a living wage plus by 2025. • 1000 lucky jobs over all continents by 2025.
1000
Our goals for co-creation
• A 100% transparent, safe and fair supply chain by 2025. • Create long-term partnerships over all continents. • Each year, determine coaching programs based on supplier needs.
750
Our goals for lucky tools
500
• In 2022 make a plan to trace our impact on buyers, givers and wearers. • By 2025, and each year before that: communicate more stories about the impact of lucky tools.
250
Our goals for A Beautiful Story
• Inspire as a social business. • Become B-Corp certified in 2022.
0
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Where there are people, you hear stories We tell, make up, twist, and forget. Where there are people, stories pop up. In one ear, out the other. But what we remember, are not the words. Not the wonderful sentences. But the acts behind them. A story that stays with you, is a story that does something. A beautiful story grabs you. Shakes you up. Leads the way. Lifts you up. We believe in the power of stories. In a world filled with fakes and plastic, beautiful stories keep us together. There’s no stopping them. A beautiful story shows that everything is possible. If you dare to start. If you just believe. If you persevere. And most importantly: if you aren’t afraid to adjust your plans. Let’s tell each other a story every day, a story that stays with you, A Beautiful Story
Sources https://www.globallivingwage.org/living-wage-benchmarks/urban-india/ https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-kathmandu/documents/publication/wcms_684588.pdf ILO 2018: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-kathmandu/documents/publication/wcms_659545.pdf ILO (2020), Global Wage Report 2020-21. Wages and minimum wages in the time of Covid-19 MVO Nederland (2020): CSR risk checker: Nepal; India
thank you!
www.abeautifulstory.eu