| Country / Region: | China / Yunnan |
|---|---|
| Project Summary: | Threads of Yunnan raises the standard of living among the people in the Yunnan Province by giving women living in the rural villages the opportunity to have jobs and provide for their families. |
Partner Overview
In the Yunnan Province of China you will find farming villages located in remote mountainous areas. They range in size, but usually have less than 60 families living in them, with family incomes that are often less than $50 per year. Women in these villages see themselves as being at the bottom of the social scale. Opportunities to provide for their families are low; women can only find paying jobs during the rice planting season. There are no other opportunities available except by opening a shop or through trading. Women struggle to provide for their families not only because of their low social status, but also because throughout most of the countryside, women have never attended school.
Threads of Yunnan was started in 1999 to raise the standard of living among the people in the Yunnan Province through rural economic development. They seek to give countryside women, living in the rural villages, the opportunity to have jobs and provide for their families. Through the sales of their preserved traditional handicrafts, they are able to earn an income which they can invest in their family’s future. They are now able to pay school fees, start small businesses, buy household necessities, and pay medical expenses. Besides the financial benefit, the women have the opportunity to receive literacy training, hygiene and nutrition education, as well as training in money management, leadership and community life issues. In partnership with local officials the project is helping to improve the lives of the community. The entire village benefits from women’s work through community projects which to date include an irrigation system and purchase of hybrid corn and fertilizer. The women themselves are active in choosing the project each year.
The colors found in their clothing and embroidery brighten the villager’s lives. The designs and colors the women use are a traditional part of their culture and an expression of their love for beauty.
Bright Hope is privileged to partner with Threads of Yunnan through selling their beautiful craft. Your purchases ultimately help strengthen the community by rural economic development and by providing hope for a better future.
