Focus on Sadhna
Stories from the Producer Fund
When Transform Trade set up the Producer Fund this year, we were blown away by the response. Not just from amazing supporters like you, but from the producer groups themselves – many of whom are struggling in a climate hostile to ethical trade.
The businesses supported by the Producer Fund are without exception, inspirational. Each of them proves what we all know – that trade done well, with people and planet at its heart, is life changing. And that a business which aims to do more than just make a profit can uplift an entire community.
Nowhere is this more true than at Sadhna.
Based in Udaipur, Rajasthan, the company aims to employ as many women as possible, many from discriminated against castes and who would otherwise be unable to earn an income. Sadhna’s artisans have been stitching some of the finest traditional hand-embroidered products for three decades. Today, they employ over 700 women. Every Sadhna product is handmade and fair trade certified.
“I love making the products. Because of my work the garments look perfect. I see everything out of the factory. This is my livelihood, I love it. If the orders increase and our work is funded we will be happy. This is our life here, we are happy. We want to see more orders and see Sadhna grow.”
Kanta Devi, Artisan
Times are challenging – COVID hit the business hard, and they face competition from online retailers. But there is strong demand for their products, and Sadhna plans to train more skilled embroiderers to fulfil these orders. They also want to become more environmentally friendly, aiming to be a zero waste organisation within the next ten years.
Thanks to the producer fund, they can start to put these plans into action – providing job opportunities for even more women, and designing a new range of zero waste clothing.
“We have come from nothing, with more support we can go much further. Sadhna is there for us when we need it the most, during COVID and when someone had an accident in the community. It’s a feeling of solidarity, that someone will listen to us when we have a problem.”
Harjeet Kaur, Artisan