Good for children, the environment and Guatemala A planned trip of six months quickly turned into a two-year-long stay which resulted in an unconditional love for Guatemala and the company Girasol. Today, it stands for high-quality baby wraps, bags and hammocks that do good in many ways.
entirely produced in Guatemala – from dyeing the yarn to textile weaving and the sewing of the wraps.
TEXT: NANE STEINHOFF I PHOTOS: GIRASOL
The advantages of baby wraps and ring slings are manifold: firstly, they are great for beginners and can be used from birth up to early childhood and, on the other hand, carrying increases mobility and intensifies the relationship between parents and baby. It even has been proven that a baby’s basic needs for closeness, warmth, safety and security are satisfied by carrying. The modern MySol® baby carrier, for example, grows with the baby for an especially long time thanks to its patented design and helps parents to carry their children comfortably and ergonomically on the back or at the front. With only a few steps, the baby carrier can be adapted so that even premature infants can be carried ergonomically.
Girasol’s journey began at the end of 1980 when founders Camilla and Gerhard decided to explore Central America. Both fell in love with Guatemala so much, that they stayed for two years and founded Girasol in 1983. “Since then, the love for the country and its indigenous population has been the driving force behind our activities,” explains Camilla Wurm, founder and managing director.
Mexico. The best thing about this: throughout the purchasing process, the manufacturing, as well as the distribution, fair trade principles and sustainability are of the utmost importance. “That’s also why more than half of our revenue goes directly to Guatemala, which ensures a reliable income for our employees on-site,” says founder and managing director Gerhard Engelmann.
Traded fairly – 100 per cent
Striving for CO2 neutrality, as well as waiving secondary packaging, are also important parts of Girasol’s sustainability concept. Lisa Hegel from online sales explains: “Of course, it’s also vital for all of our products to meet the European safety requirements for baby products.”
In Guatemala’s Mayan markets, Camilla and Gerhard started to select handwoven textiles, fabrics and handicrafts, before selling them in Mexico. After their return to Germany in 1983, they continued this trade in their own store in Berlin. And since that time, they have bought almost all of their products from small handicraft businesses, cooperatives and independently working weavers and tailors from Guatemala and 14 | Issue 85 | April/May 2020
100 per cent handmade Today, Girasol is the world’s largest provider of high-quality, handwoven baby wraps and ring slings which get
Whether you decide on a baby wrap, a ring sling or a hammock, Girasol’s products are always good for children, the environment and Guatemala. www.girasol.de