Winkelen homewares magazine issue 2 Winkelen magazine November 2015 | Page 37

What has been your biggest highlight? Earlier this year travelled to a remote part of India called Bhagalpur and began working and training in an NGO group called Dristee. Many of these ladies come from difficult circumstances they are single mothers or are widowed and most live in poverty. I spent time with these ladies training them in new sewing techniques. It was so wonderful to see these ladies excited about learning new skills, and so rewarding just to see their faces light up! I tell you, you gain a whole new perspective on life. Currently the ladies are making our re-useable shopping bags, which are hand woven and then stitched for Tassel & Twine. By teaching them to stitch they have a skill to become self sufficient, to earn income and ultimately empower them. What are your plans for the future? As Tassel & Twine has only recently been launched. We will continue to establish ourselves in Australia, with an aim to exporting next year. As we grow and develop to work with our artisan’s, women’s collectives & NGO’s we will ensure the development of our communities continue. We will eventually fund a training program for the children in our communities for their growth and development. CONTACT: tasselandtwine.com