Fair Trade at Thanapara Swallows, Bangladesh

Discover the work of Emmaus Thanapara Swallows in Bangladesh on World Fair Trade Day on 9 May.

The Thanapara group is strongly committed to ethical finance, as shown by its fair trade and microcredit initiatives. The group provides work for 350 women, who make clothing and embroidered fabrics, which are then sold through fair trade networks. As soon as they are able to, these women set aside some of their salary, adding it to a fund which is used to finance small projects through microcredit. In fact, microcredit has been going from strength to strength in Thanapara for 30 years. To date, 2,847 loans have been granted and 3,554 women have contributed to the fund. “We put our trust in the least privileged and give them the means to help themselves, without asking for any guarantees,” explains Raihan Ali, group leader. “These loans are often used to make a purchase which can then be used as a guarantee in order to apply for further loans from traditional banks”.

Photo : World Fair Trade Day on 9 May, Thanapara Swallows, Bangladesh