After a long wait due to the lockdown, we were finally able to visit the crew of our latest partner, the Kathmandu Project, in person. In a small workshop, not far from the capital Kathmandu 🇳🇵, not only our hemp bags are made, but also the fabrics and threads required for them. A whole host of families are involved in the patchwork business, most of whom had no other work or have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. We were very touched by the invitation to a family's home for a meal, the brilliant hospitality and the insights!

Hemp is one of the fastest growing, most sustainable and useful plants, thriving almost everywhere. This has made it one of the main sources of income for the rural and poorer population of Nepal. Hemp is used as a building material, medicine, food (oil), paper and of course clothing. Under Chinese price pressure, however, it has become almost unprofitable to offer the raw material.

The investment for the Kathmandu Project of over three years' salary initially put Prem under a lot of pressure, but he is sure of his decision: "The tourism industry is an insecure and thankless business. People need a secure income and the planet needs alternative, sustainable products.👌

Today, he employs over 50 people, most of whom are women and people with physical/mental disabilities. They initially sourced the material from Sindhupalchowk, which was so badly affected by the floods.