This beautiful yet practical Fair Trade Canvas Appliqué Lucy Bag can be worn over the shoulder or hand held. It is embellished with satin flowers and lined in a complementary linen mix fabric. It has an internal mobile phone pocket and a magnetic stud fastening. Comes in a choice of colours, please see drop down list for availability.

Made by a truly remarkable fair trade company based in Northern Vietnam

Our bag supplier has been working closely with a fair trade company based in Northern Vietnam for the past 6 years. They work together to ensure fair trade criteria are embedded into everyday working life.

Almost all of the artisans who now work there were originally rice farmers earning a subsistent, irregular and inconsistent wage. The rice farmers in Vietnam are very dependent on the weather and other environmental factors out of their control. Working from dawn until dusk the farmers are still unable to earn enough money to feed their families and send their children to school.

Working as a seamstress or in quality control, for example, a person can earn on average $100 per month, which will allow the family to have a reasonable standard of living and also send their children to school and on to higher education. They go a step further and pay national insurance for each staff member that covers medical costs and provides a pension for retirement all of which is above the national legal requirements.

All of the women working are trained on the job at the workshop in Hanoi. Each person is encouraged to progress and learn new skills so that they can be promoted. The working conditions at the workshops are clean and safe and the staff have regular breaks and days off. There is flexibility for mothers who breastfeed as well as a system in place for women who are unable to come to work due to a child being ill and off school for example.

They also work with a small group of women with minor disabilities. When two of the young women in the group, Trang and Dung, first started working they were lacking in confidence, unskilled and had had difficulties finding employment. With support from the staff they were taught new tailoring skills and over time have progressed to becoming team leaders. They are now able to financially support their families, which has given them a place within their local society and has helped to increase their self esteem. Trang is now married and has a beautiful baby boy and Dung has bought a motorbike so that she has increased independence.

The company give disadvantaged women the opportunity and support to improve their lives through secure work, training and a healthy working life giving them financial security and self confidence.

Each purchase helps us all to create more work opportunities for other disadvantaged women and change their lives and those of their families.


13 x 25cm