Solace Cottage Industry

Cottage Industry

A woman in Afghanistan — who once read fashion magazines by candlelight, for fear the Taliban would discover this simple pleasure and kill her— now designs beautiful bags and shawls in Nepal. A family in Colombia who once went hungry is now earning a livable wage by designing necklaces and pendants. A woman in Nepal — who has been fighting to save girls from being sold into slavery and brothels — is now putting those same girls to work weaving colorful and trendy baskets and purses from recycled candy wrappers.

These artisans, and the high-quality art they are producing, are helping build a program that provides income for those involved, as well as for their families.

Solace's Cottage Industry program trains artisans to design and produce goods traditionally found in their homelands for sale to outside retail markets. These products are sold locally to tourists in their areas, as well as in the United States at events organized and sponsored by Solace.

The profits from the sale of these goods is being used in multiple ways: first, to expand the number, variety and location of small artisan cooperatives that will produce additional goods for sale; to teach the craftspeople improved literacy and business development skills; and most importantly, to build schools and clinics in the communities where these artisans live and work. This leveraging of a group of hard working and talented people into something that will develop a greater and sustainable good is not a new planning concept, but it’s also very rare to see this practice implemented in the field. It is with this financial goal in mind that products and artisans are selected for the Cottage Industry Program, and by committing to this approach the return on our initial capital investment is considerable.

To learn more about how to host a Solace Cottage Industry house party please contact Project Director Marlo Shedlock at marloannshedlock@gmail.com