By Lucy Vartevanian | Executive Director HDIF Trading LLC
What an amazing few months!…. Export sales have increased and new enquiries are pouring in. We’ve been sourcing new producers and at the same time relocated our operation to a fantastic new office & retail showroom…WHY? We wanted to shift our focus on our ever growing export orders….Yes exports! Since early 2018 HDIF producers have been busy crocheting orders for Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, USA, Australia New Zealand & Lebanon markets. Not just for Fair Trade distributors but also private businesses, museums and organizations
Gayane, one of our producer partners from Gyumri, who heads a team of 20 women recently announced the team has grown to 35…”women in Gyumri are approaching me to ask if they can join, word has got around in the community that there is a demand for women who know how to crochet” Why? “Simple, regular income and the fact that the women get together once a week to crochet together. It gives them an opportunity to talk amongst themselves, share problems, give support and encouragement to one another”….Now that’s what we call EMPOWERMENT! Earlier in June Gyumri managed to complete the second installment of one of HDIF’s largest order, 27,788 mini crochet finger puppet delivered to Italy….”amazing, lovingly crochet by a ladies in Gyumri and destined to please little children in Italy” said a very proud Gayane! The team is now working on 270 baby rattles for Germany and 350 Christmas ornaments to New Zealand.
IT DOESN’T END THERE….HDIF managed to deliver 1,250 Capricorn crochet mini animal keytags/finger puppets/pencil tops to Switzerland in April 2019. 300 Viking crochet finger puppets to Denmark in July 2019. All handmade by our producers in Berd. The 20 strong team of ladies are now working on 500 crochet mini animal bracelets and 500 mini hair bands to be delivered to a Fair Trade distributor in Germany by end of August.
Yes, HDIF is working hard to constantly expanding export sale….And what does this mean?…VOLUME! A much needed volume for the producers we work with. Not only does it sustain what we are trying to achieve - CREATING JOBS for women in rural regions of Armenia - it also opens up opportunities for further employment opportunities in the communities we work in.
And all this cannot be achieved without you. Your help and kind contributions gives us the opportunity and the life line to not only mentor women in vulnerable communities but also provides us the means to market products towards establishing sustainable and regular volume of export orders that contribute towards maintaining regular work and income for our producers …..YOU HAVE BEEN AMAZING! THANK YOU!
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