I can hardley contain my excitement! After months of trips to India, discussions with Indian Artisans and tweaking of designs we are happy to announce our first group of Topanien Cat Pillows have arrived! These adorable kitties were drawn by Melinda of the Topanien Gifts Staff to create our very own line of pillows! Our good friend Sarah from AWAZ and the NW Fair Trade Coalilition took our designs to India to Sadhna, a group of women she works closely with and didn't they do a fabulous job!?! 

ABOUT SADHNA
Sadhna is an organization in India empowering women. Currently more than 600 women, most from rural and urban slum communities, make up the Sadhna membership. These women specialize in applique and tanka embroidery. As a Certified Fair Trade organization, the Sadhna provides its' members with social services such as health care, savings and links to government programs.
The women run a large Center in the city for putting together and finishing their products. The Center houses approximately 40 women from the city, sewing machines, cutting masters, supervisors, a daycare facility and a variety of staff to help manage production.
It is the women from the rural areas who specialize in the unique embroidery and applique that is their signature work. The women are from farming villages and enjoy job security with Sadhna, which provides year round employment, even when the harvest is bad. The women work from their villages where they can do embroidery and care for their farmland and families at the same time.
Sadhna provides many social benefits to the women including health insurance, eye exams, savings programs, personal loans, access to government programs, bank accounts, exhibitions...
To Learn More about AWAZ and Sadhna click here.