Strengthening Skills For A Brighter Future

In response to feedback from members of The Hands To Heart Women’s Cooperative, ITDF staff rolled out sewing machines. The Hill Tribe woman are so excited about this initiative, which was made possible by The Starbucks Foundation global community grant and private donors. Utilized by the co-op members in a village, these game changing machines speed up production of the goods made from their traditional weaving, open doors for new product designs and strengthen their ability to create a sustainable income source for years to come. Along with access to treadle sewing machines, the ITDF team provides training on the use and maintenance of the machines.

Hands To Hear Women Cooperative provides micro-enterprise training courses throughout the year to its members. The courses focus on skills to run and expand their handicraft businesses through topics such as product development.

The relationship with a village usually starts after ITDF, the Foundation that Hands To Heart is a part of, completes a water project. During the initial project, ITDF shares additional ways they can assist the village. For those villages that express interest, Hands To Heart provides 3 basic trainings sessions before members receive their first handicraft order. They cover quality control, product development basics and natural dye basics. Upon joining the cooperative, the new village is also encouraged to set up their own governing structure. They vote to select a chairman, co-chair, treasurer and secretary.

Officially established in 2020, the Hands To Heart Women’s Cooperative was established by the Lanna Foundation and the Integrated Tribal Development Foundation (ITDF) partnership. The Cooperative works with the Hill Tribe Women of Northern Thailand to create and expand their hand weaving businesses by providing micro-enterprise training. As a part of ITDF’s mission to end poverty in the area, Hands To Heart empowers women in these villages to play an active role in the financial well-being of their families, to be role models for their children and to preserve their centuries old tradition of hand weaving.

You can help empower these women by donating to the micro-enterprise training program or by purchasing handicrafts. Handicrafts are purchased from the cooperative members at fair trade prices and proceeds from sales fund the microloan program.