Mela Artisans’ First Kiva Loan is Funded

We are thrilled to partner with Kiva to expand the number of artisans we’re able to work with in India.
Last month, we participated in our first-ever Kiva loan, which raised 5,625 USD.  With those funds, we can make new purchase orders, and thereby support more women artisans in the country.  Specifically, we’ll be using the money to help with training costs and new materials needed to broaden our product line of embroidered pillows.

We’ve always believed in business leading the way to social change.  Rather than charity, we want to empower and enable our community of artisans to sustain themselves through their skill and hard work.  We’ve been implementing this model since 2010 and have worked with more than 50 artisan groups across the country.Recently, we joined hands with the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, an initiative launched by Hillary Clinton in 2012 and hosted by the Aspen Institute.  We are working with Kiva through the Alliance, which aspires to create more ethical supply chains and new markets for artisans globally.  You can learn more about the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise here [link: http://www.allianceforartisanenterprise.org/ and follow @AllianceArtisan on Twitter.