Vindicated!

Blue Mango Trust is one of MESH suppliers. It is an all women's group that include many women affected by HIV aids or widowed for other reasons, and a whole beading workshop of women with disabilities. At MESH's recent workshop and network meeting, which was funded by IM Soir, they were given an award for High Quality Products and Services

Tamar DeJong who runs Blue Mango Trust wrote this morning to say:

"The certificate came today, and the women have written words to you that I have to translate which will take a couple of days. But to tell you about a conversation with Rajakumari..."

"I know that Blue Mango is doing pretty well compared to other groups as far as getting orders goes and one might think that we don't need the encouragement, which is why I personally really appreciate the honor on behalf of the women. They DO need the encouragement. Our growing success comes at a price. The price is that we have a terrible reputation in the villages with having quality control, because there are mills here who turn out cruddy items and people work like robots. Even if they get paid less,they don't often care. Women who leave Blue Mango, or are kicked out for one reason or another, get disgruntled and spread the word in the villages that "they pull the items apart until they break and then throw items back in your face" which is the biggest reason why we don't have applicants lining up at our door."

Tamar adds: "So Rajakumari and Leela (in the picture below) really suffer because of this. In spite of this, we are getting new applicants, those who are the most marginalized and hear about our compassion and acceptance (who are the people that we want anyway.)Anyway to get a certificate honoring quality, made them both beam ... because the Certificate is honoring what they suffer for, and still carry on."

1.8.2013

Rajakumari and Leela