Imperfectly Perfect Handcrafts

Let's reduce poverty and improve working conditions for farmers and producersin developing countries together!

Meet our artisans

Jute Baskets

The Bono collection is sustainably handmade by women artisans in a rural artisan organization located in the northern part of Bangladesh. The 176 women artisans working at this organization use jute, a strong plant fiber, as the main raw material. Before joining the organization, the women artisans were predominantly housewives whose work went unrecognized, unpaid, and limited to household activities. Some women worked in the nearby rice mills for very low wages, such as Tk. 100 per day (equivalent to 1.16 USD), for long workdays of over 10 hours. Unfortunately for the women, finding work in the area is extremely difficult. However, with the help of the organization, these artisans are able to find financial independence and self-sufficiency. They are able to have greater autonomy by contributing to their family and participating in important decision-making processes. They can also send their kids to school and provide for their basic needs. Most importantly, the artisans are respected for their contributions and dignified with a higher status in their community.

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Seagrass Baskets

BHS is one of the partner organizations providing seagrass baskets to KORISSA. Seagrass is a freshwater plants, known locally as “Hogla” and grows abundantly along the banks of freshwater rivers in Bangladesh.
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BHS provides training for new artisans and provides job opportunities for disadvantaged women who live in a rural area. Presently 82 women and 18 male artisans work in this organization. Generally, women make a basket at their home and male artisans make the metal frame for baskets in the workshop.   
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Our artisans are paid a fair, livable wage. In addition to wages, they get some festival benefit during the main religious festival.

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Terracotta Home Decor

Our terracotta collection is meticulously crafted by skilled artisans in Kartikpur, southwest Shariatpur, Bangladesh. They begin by transforming raw soil into clay, meticulously shaping molds guided by precise designs. These molds bring to life intricate animal designs, each piece reflecting their dedication. The creations undergo a transformative firing process on wooden platforms, solidifying the clay and infusing it with rustic charm. From Kartikpur's soil to artisans' hands, this process showcases their precision and love. The result: terracotta planters celebrating nature's beauty and Bangladesh's rich artistry.

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Seagrass & Sari Birdhouse

Mst. Bilkis Begum, 40 years old, daughter of Mr. Shaib Ali and Mrs. Suraya Begum, joined BNF as an artisan in 1997. Initially unfamiliar with the craft, she was trained by BNF and has since excelled in product making. Her skills have enabled her to provide for her family, support her daughters' education, cover wedding costs, and acquire 3 decimal land. Her future goal is to build a house using her earnings. Bilkis Begum's income has not only brought sustainability and happiness to her life but has also turned her dreams into reality.

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Jute Bags

All our Jute tote & clutch collection is handmade by artisans in the Women’s Development Organization Bangladesh. 
This Women’s Development Organization is a non-profit, national level, voluntary development organization with a mission to contribute to the establishment of a just and poverty-free society by organizing and training the most disadvantaged women through its committed and skilled workers.

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Handmade Paper

Biborton Handmade Paper is in Barisal district in southern Bangladesh. This is a particularly disadvantaged and vulnerable area in Bangladesh. Floods, droughts and high unemployment, year after year have made such poor condition of the area. Biborton is working with the disadvantaged and poorest of the poor from the rural areas. For years, Biborton has been making handmade paper using water hyacinth, a weed that clogs up the waterways in Southern Bangladesh and silk. With the abundance of water hyacinth and the extraction of good quality fibres; creative products are being produced there. Handmade Paper (jute, water hyacinth, silk)