Aspiration International – India, Delhi
Aspiration is based in Delhi, India and is a fairly small Fair Trading organisation in comparison to others in India. Aspiration believe in sincere work for the welfare of artisans and families which are located all over India including Jaipur and Sarangapur by promoting and developing cottage industries, improving economic and social welfare and proving fair wages. I was lucky enough to visit them and it was a lovely experience, they even got me taxi to pick me up from the hotel! And they are doing such good work adhering to their 10 fair trade principles set by the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO)
Aspiration organise groups of semi-skilled and skilled artisans and help bring them up from poverty to being able to stand on their own. Some groups have even become self-independent artisans in their own community.
A quote from Aspirations:
“There are three aspects to human creativity – Art, Crafts, and Science. Roughly determinated, art relies upon sensing, vision and expression, crafts upon sophisticated technique and science upon knowledge. Handicraft is the “traditional” main sector of the crafts, it is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. Usually the term is applied to traditional means of making goods. Items made by mass production or machines are not handicraft goods. Handicraft goods are made with craft production processes.
"We have been working for the past 25 Years and have been following all the Principles of Fair Trade. We have been closely monitoring the Growth of the Craftsman/artisan associated with us. Most of the craftsman with whom we started working, were working on a daily wage with the other Craftsman."
Padam N. Kapoor: Chief Executive Officer of Aspiration International
Aspirations work with the community
Now, at least 95% of their artisans have got their own workshops and are giving work to the other craftsman working under them. We have seen the real economic growth in their standard of living. They send their childrens to schools and the grown up are going to Universities. They have become self sufficient and are in a position to take care of the basic needs of their families. They feel great for working for Fair Trade as they know that there is an organization supporting them and are taking care of all their justified needs. They are paid Fair wages for the products they make, they get all the financial support for small tools, Raw material, children’s education and so on. Overall, they feel privileged to be working for Fair Trade organization.”
