In the world
Colombia
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Developing a craft industry
SWA contributes to support the Chamba's
workshop (South East of Bogota) which produces
cooking pots and ornaments made of black
ceramic. Potters from the village use a traditional
technique that goes back 350 years. The sale of
products, through a fair trade company, enables
villagers to benefit from welfare and better living
conditions.
Thanks to the activity of the workshop, local jobs are maintained, ceramists earn a living and children are sent to school. Keeping employement at The Pottery
SWA supports "The Pottery", an independent
workshop producing potteries and ceramics in the
Andes (a mountainous region). All the employees of
"The Pottery" have an employment contract
including welfare (health insurance, bonuses,
evolution of wages according to seniority) and
benefit from professional training throughout their
career.
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Social and professional integration for women
SWA supports the project of Piel Acida, a
handcraft company which produces jewelry
made of tagua (palm seed) and orange peels,
and employs about fifty villagers (thirty of
them are women). The company also helps
poor children (15-18 years old) who work in
coal mines by helping them to learn how to
create jewelry and help and encourage
them to join school. In the company,
mandatory working conditions are respected (good income and working
hours plus welfare benefits). Employees/ workers benefit from computer and
technical trainings/courses to help them to develop their skills and to create
more opportunities for them.
Honduras
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Improving local employment and living conditions
SWA contributes to support a workshop (Atuto)
based in Honduras mountains which
produces/manufactures furniture and decorative
pieces made of ceramic, metal, wood and natural
fibres. The activities of this workshop make it
possible to finance (the) Ambos Foundation
(improvement of living conditions for the
inhabitants) which has already helped Mitch
victims. Today, this foundation educates and feeds
61 poor children, and supports 15 elderly people.
India
Helping women from shantytowns
SWA contributes to develop Conserves’s
project which aims at helping women from
Delhi’s shantytowns by assuring them a
decent job and fair income. Indian workers /
craftsmen / artisans convert waste plastic
bags into innovative, colourful and creative
bags and accessories called "Handmade
Recycled Plastic" (HRP). The NGO works
with experienced tailors/designers and rag
pickers. Thanks to the activities of the NGO, children go for free at school,
and a school has been built in one of the sorting center.
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Help for Delhi’s untouchables
SWA supports the project of an Indian association (TARA) created by social workers and students in order to help Delhi’s untouchables. The association works with two cooperatives, Taja 8 and Agra Bazar which manufacture decoration pieces made of soapstone. The activity of these cooperatives enables employees to benefit from good working conditions and to earn decent wages. Public services, and unofficial / informal education programs have been developed for children and women.
The story of Yunus : Yunus, who runs the workshop,
particularly likes the foreseeability of his wages and the
loyalty of his boss. "My clients used to skimp over quality, to pay me peanuts and late."
TARA pays cash on the nail and it advances money of orders. Today, this father of four
children, son of a farmer crushed by taxation of (the) Nabob, appreciates this safety. Thanks
to fair trade, the workshop, six years after its creation, has a 3.5 million annual turnover (70
000 euros). Yunus children go to school.em>
Burkina Faso
African culture through art expression
SWA decided to support the project of
Lukare Association, based in
Ouagadougou, which and spreads
African culture through art expression
of young "burkinabé". Lukare sells
furniture, decoration pieces and
artworks. The association also trains
over 30 young people who are going to
become the artists of the future. SWA
subsidized an audit and consultancy
assignment to stimulate a better
organization through the setting up
simple managing tools. These new plans enable the association to allow
costs issues, and to be more efficient to meet customers's needs.
In France
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Professional integration program
Products manufactured in underdeveloped countries are sold in fair trade
stores employing people in difficulty called Alter Mundi. The program
consists in giving a professional integration process to those in need: young
people in difficulty, long term unemployed, welfare recipients, unskilled
persons, handicapped/disabled persons….This measure enables employees
to be trained and to readjust to working world in order to design a realistic
career plan. Over 20 people have benefited from this program.
Using sport as a socio – educative tool
SWA chose to support a sport based educative program for
children in difficulty. Thanks to the support of the association,
educators are trained to use teaching tools based on sport.
Through sport courses/activities children will become self
confident and learn how to respect others. This program will be
launched this spring.
Providing social cohesion to homeless
SWA contributes to support an initiative which aims at helping
outcasts and homeless by providing them social cohesion
solutions. The association, Reconnect, provides a phone number,
a voice mail, visiting cards and the possibility to listen to
messages. This program will be launched this summer.