Fairtrade in action, our artisan stories

Seang Sopheak, Producer, Village Works Songkhem

Sopheak was born and raised in Baray, Kompong Thom Province, less than a mile from the Villageworks training centre. The 23 year old grew up relying largely on the income her mother made selling fish at the local market.

Her father died when she was only 12, leaving her mother in need of further income to look after the family. Sopheak was sent to work as a housemaid for a wealthy family in the nearby town, although she managed to attend school in the morning and work in the afternoon.

When she was 19, the next door neighbour told her about a vocational training programme that was being run in nearby Somrong. She decided to make the journey to Villageworks and enquire about training and employment.

She was accepted onto the programme as an embroiderer and has recently begun learning how to weave. “Before I came here, I had to work very hard for very little money,” Socheat, who has been with Villageworks over four years, recalls “but now, I am able to earn a fair wage and even learn new skills, which I really enjoy.”

Angkana, Co-ordinator for Candle Holders, Thailand

“Hi, my name is Angkana. I am now 28 years old and was born in Phayao, Northern part of Thailand. I graduated from Chiang Mai University. When I started this business, I had the opportunity to deal with a group of village people outside Chiang Mai.  I was amazed to discover while working with these locals, that beyond their capacity for hard work, they were truly great artisans.

Thank you very much for buying candle holders from us.  Saffron Winds money is transferred to the group of village people responsible for the products you’ve purchased, and will help them enjoy a better standard of life.”

There are 3 main steps to producing these beautiful mango wood candle holders: (1) carving preparation; (2) colouring and (3) hand carving.  Angkana appreciates the need to source sustainable wood from Northern Thailand to prevent continued de-forestation of the jungles.

Youk Somoeun, Master Weaver, CCC

Ever since he was a little boy, Youk Somoeun enjoyed weaving. His parents would weave scarves for sale at the local market in Kandal Province, and taught Somoeun from an early age.

“When I was young, I would go to school in the morning and weave scarves in the afternoon,” Somoeun recalls. “It was something I really loved doing.”

Despite the skills that Somoeun was learning, he and his family remained poor up until the time that he left home in search for a job in Phnom Penh. Although he was able to find a job as a weaver in the city, it did not pay enough and Somoeun missed life in the countryside.

In 1998, he moved to a new weaving project set-up in the countryside in Tropaing Svay. In 2002, the Cambodia Craft Cooperation (CCC) began to employ weavers at the project, and spotted Somoeun’s skills.  He was appointed the Master Weaver for their products, giving him responsibility for training new weavers, overseeing quality control and coming up with new and innovative designs for CCC products.

“I still love weaving, even to this day,” he explains. “I am always looking for new ideas and new designs for the products we produce.”

The little boy who was weaving before he went to school is now a 47-year old man, but he is happy with how his career has turned out, especially as CCC are committed to paying him and his co-workers a fair wage and ensuring that they have good working conditions.

He smiles when he thinks about how far the products he designs now travel, from Cambodia to places around the world. “They are good products,” he says, confidently. “I think they deserve to be seen by the rest of the world.”

Sok Sokunthea, Producer, NCDP

“I am happy with my life now, I am able to earn between $50 to $100 USD per month.  I’m looking to find a home, starting a family and learning design skills."

21-year old Sok Sokunthea is happy with her life now. She is recently married with a steady job as a producer at NCDP.  However, things have not always been this easy for Sokunthea. The youngest daughter of seven, Sokunthea contracted polio when she was only one month old. Although she managed to attend school for several years near her home in Takeo Province, that all changed when her mother passed away in 2002.

Sokunthea was forced to quit school and help her father by working at home. After several years, she left home to find work in Phnom Penh.  She knew finding work would be difficult as she needed to find a workplace sympathetic to her needs.

She was fortunate to secure a position with NCDP in 2004, and is able to earn between $50 to $100 USD per month, and is able to save money by staying in accommodation provided by NCDP.

Lay La, Pattern Maker & Trainer, VillageWorks Songhkem

My name is Lay La and I am 29 years old. I was born in Kompong Cham Province. I contracted polio in both of my legs when I was one years old. I am the youngest son among three children in my family. 

I stayed at home, unable to walk to school, until 1997, when I came to Phnom Penh to attend the training course at Watthan/Maryknoll Vocational Training Center. I trained for one year and was then selected to work for Marryknoll for six months.

Since July 2005, I have been working for VillageWorks Songkhem as a pattern marker and trainer. My current salary is $130 per month (approx. £65) and it helps me support my family. I am not just supporting my wife and child, I also have to support my five younger relatives. They work with my wife and share the profit from selling their sewing products at the local market.

In the future, I want to set up my own producer group and retail shop to sell my products, but I need the capital to invest in this shop.

Chin Sovann, Jewellery-Maker, Rajana

Chin Sovann was born in Phnom Penh in 1988. The youngest of three children, she stopped going to school when she reached grade eleven because she needed to support her family financially in order for her older brother and sisters to continue their education.

After Sovann stopped going to school in 2000, she planned to work at a garment factory, although she doubted whether she could get a job there as she had no tailoring skills. She eventually heard about the silversmith and jewellery training, which was being offered by an Italian organisation called AFILIO.

She trained for four months at AFILIO before being selected to work at Rajana Handicraft Association in 2005. After almost two years of working as a silversmith and jewellery-maker at Rajana, Sovana is very happy with the direction her life is going in.

She is now 19-years old and currently earning at least $70 USD per month, most of which goes to support her family. In just one day, Sovann is able to produce two pairs of hand-crafted silver earrings. She also creates beautiful rings, bracelets and necklaces for the customers of Rajana.

In the future, she wants to have her own tailoring shop, something that she admits many Cambodian women dream about.

Chin Veasna & wife, Peach, Producers, NCDP

Chin Veasna is now 25, and was born and brought up in a small village in Svay Rieng Province.  In 2002, his leg was amputated after disease left him unable to move his leg, which had not been medically treated before as his family could not afford it.  He was unable to complete school due to his illness and disability. Veasna had feared that finding employment would be very difficult, however, his fortunes changed when he moved to Phnom Penh, and attended a tailoring programme for disabled people.  Within the year, he secured a position working with NCDP making handicrafts. 

He met his future wife, Peach Pov, who is also disabled by a motorbike accident at NCDP, and since, they’ve married and had their first child.  Through the wages paid by NCDP – between $50 to $100 USD per month – they are able to support themselves and their baby.  They hope to be able to set up their own business in the future.

“My wife, Peach Pov, also works for NCDP.  We are able to support ourselves and our baby.  We hope to be able to set up our own business in the future.”

Suttinan Ruenjai, Artisan, Y-Development

Living in the provinces, supported by her family, she set up the business in 1997 replicating ancient lunch boxes.

When she saw young, she used to watch her elders making, designing and painting these ancient lunch boxes. She really loves to trace as her ancestors did so that future generations can appreciate it.

Currently, she employs four women - ranging in ages from 30 to 55 years old. Their wages are calculated based on the size of the item that is being produced. The group work 6 days a week and have an average wage of 3000 Baht per month (approximately £50).

Ms Suttinan really needs the supportive assistance on marketing provided by Y-Development Co-operation.

Jatuporn Chaiyasak, Jewellery-Maker, Y-Development

Mrs Jatuporn started her jewellery design business in 1996 to supplement her family income.  She has a real love for craftmanship design and for making jewellery. 

There are at least 5 staff, all well trained, who help in producing the jewellery for Jatuporn and Y-Development. They all work outwith their normal hours to supplement their daily incomes. Their daily work usually involves selling government lottery, which is sold twice a month, and therefore they make the jewellery in their spare time to help them and their families.  Each member receives approximately 4,000 Baht/month (approx. £65.00).

Peach Yum, Producer, Village Works Songkhem

For many years, Peach Yum’s life was marked by tragedy. Having grown up the daughter of a poor farming family, Yum knew both hard work and the pain of an empty stomach from an early age.

When she married and had her own children, she continued the trade of her parents, growing rice and vegetables, some of which she ate and some of which she sold. In 1991, her husband died of malaria and her son married and moved out of the family home, leaving Yum alone and dependent on other family members for money.

All that changed in 2000, when the Pastor at her local church told Yum about a training programme in the nearby village of Somrong, Kompong Thom Province. He suggested that she contact them and find out whether they could provide her with sewing training to enable her to find work to support herself.

When she arrived at Villageworks, she had no vocational skills, but picked up the art of sewing in just a few months. After her training, Yum was offered a permanent job and is now the longest serving member of the Villageworks team.

“Being at Villageworks has given me the confidence to set up my own business selling food from my house,” the 52-year-old says. “My life is so much better, now that I am working here.”

Hoy Sinoeun, Trainee Producer, Village Works Songkhem

Sinoeun is joined in the photo with the Project Manager at Village Works - the most special Anak.  Hoy Sinoeun comes from a very poor family in the countryside, so she was only able to study until high school grade 10. She was unable to go to Baray University as it was too expensive to pay for the studies, and her family could not afford it. There was little hope that she could continue with her studies as the Government only have very limited scholarships available.

She decided to train in sewing, and is attending a sewing machine class at Village Works in Phnom Penh for 3 months.  When she finishes her training, she will go back to her home in Baray and work for Village Works as a full-time sewer, so that she can earn a good wage to help her family.

Sinoeun says “I am happy that I have chosen to learn a life skill with Village Works, I will soon be a full-time sewer, and will be able to support my family.”

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