This bag was hand sewn and appliqued by one of the 272 members of an all-women cooperative in western Rajasthan, India. They have learned the art of hand appliqué from fellow village women and can now teach this art to many other women.

The artisans are distributed over the region in various desert villages. Women from distant villages come once a week to the cooperative office, submit their products and collect more raw materials to work on in their homes. Profits from this art help the overall development of the group; this region now has medical centers providing basic health services, solar electricity, evening schools for kids and vocational colleges for women.

Handmade Expressions, the fair trade company behind this line, has an ongoing commitment to provide this group of artisans with electricity. Since these villages are in remote areas, they don’t receive basic services such as potable water or electricity. Their goal is to provide each house with a solar panel to produce enough electric power to illuminate their homes at night.