Woven Carry On Overnight Bag

I M P A C T

Fleeing from Tibet at the age of 12 with little schooling and no money, Pema-la Lama struggled to settle herself in to her new country of Nepal. A refugee there, she taught herself to read and write in Nepali and learned how to knit and sew, all the while caring for 6 younger siblings and tending to a father dying of cancer. In 1984 she lived with her husband Namgyal , also a Tibetan refugee, who fled when he was one, and their baby daughter, Chimi in a small room in Kathmandu with no water, bathroom or kitchen. They supported themselves with sales from a small shop where they sold bags and knitwear that they made.  

As their business grew Pema-la needed to bring other tailors and knitters in to help. She worked side by side with people who had been dispossessed to help create meaningful and profitable work for them. Men like Durba Pariyar who was no longer able to support his family through his small sewing shop. Pema-la asked him to become her master tailor and taught him cutting and patterning. When he wanted to provide work to young men in his village she brought those young men to Kathmandu and taught them to sew. When they had all worked together as a good team she set up a profit sharing plan for all of them so that as the business grew they would all benefit. This profit sharing plan gave them all a voice in the decision making process and a percentage of the profits. It was the first example of its kind in the Kathmandu Valley.

D E T A I L S

• Cute and sturdy striped Gyari weave duffel bag = 17″ x 18″ x 8.5″.
• Great for the gym, travel, a fair trade diaper bag, or a carry on/weekend away bag
• One pocket on the front of the bag that buttons closed
• Open pockets on either end for additional organization
• The handles wrap all the way around the bag for sturdiness
• Assorted colors, each one different.  Enjoy the surprise!

These bags come in an incredible variety of assorted stripes, and each one is handmade enjoy one of the few remaining surprises in life!

S H O P  T H E  C H A N G E 

Your purchase empowers people in need with a hand up via safe, living wage employment.

Shop the change you wish to see in the world; browse the Do Good Shop collection here.