And off we go...

...namely to Germany! The first MADRAS CARRY collection is being freshly produced and is on its way today. I'm so excited!

This project, which began in 2017 with a simple idea, represents almost 1.5 years of work: I was standing in front of a small house in the slums of Chennai and wondered how I could support this amazing women's project I had just visited. It's a fair trade certified NGO that helps women who have been abandoned, are physically disabled, or are ill. And it quickly became clear: the more work there is, the more women can work and support their families. That's precisely the idea behind MADRAS CARRY: the sale of every single bag in Germany funds one of these women who would have little chance in the regular job market. This allows her to work and send her children to school at the same time. With continued demand, the organization can grow and help more women locally.

It's been a long road from there to now. Many months have gone into on-site design and product development. But now it's finally here!

The woman in the picture is Sumathi, by the way. She leads a group of 15 women and teaches new women how to weave madras carry bags.