"I'm especially glad to have found Vietnam Quilts with help from the guidebook. I thought I would buy the whole store. As I'm an agricultural engineer, in Sweden, I could spend all my money in a nonprofit store for rural women. You have sampled a good combination of luxury, less expensive, profit and non-proft alternetives for all kind of tourists." Cecilia Hagberg.
Welcome to the March edition of the Mekong-Quilts newsletter! With the recent passing of the lunar new year, we wish you happiness and prosperity for the year of the Tiger.
In the following edition you will find:
Profile on Ms Ngoc - A Quilter in Duc Linh
Mekong-Quilts Featured in Out2 Design Exhibition, HCMC
New Products
Making a Greener Vietnam
Mekong-Quilts Now in the Lonely Planet!
Who We Are
Profile on Ms Ngoc - A Quilter in Duc Linh
Since joining the program only three years ago, Ngoc has helped to provide a better life for her children. The short documentary below explains her story.
Out2 Design have provided display space for a select range of products, complementing work by local up-and-coming and established artists and designers. This display is ongoing, with more joint projects to be announced soon.
New Products
We have recently received a wide range of new products and designs, including elegant silk cushions, baby mats, table settings, yoga mats and carriers.
Silk Cushions
The silk cushions are made using a mixture of different red patterned patches and are a great feature on any bed or sofa setting. They are priced at $17 each.
Baby Mat
The baby mat is an entirely new product and has been tremendously popular since it's introduction only weeks ago. Thanks to the colourful contemporary designs and easy-to-wash protective lining, it is a popular gift for anyone expecting a child and at only $16 is very affordable.
Table Settings
New placemat designs that incorporate Javanese batik fabrics are an excellent addition to any table setting. They have a contemporary design with an eastern influence and are great settings for any modern home. They are only $40 for 6 settings with matching cotton serviettes.
Meditation Mat and Carry Case Designs
We have just launched the new meditation mat and yoga carrier designs. Entirely made from batik fabric, they are long-lasting and bring comfort to any yoga or mediation session.
Yoga Mat Carrier: $18
Meditation Mat: $23
Mekong-Quilts Making a Greener Vietnam
A significant percentage of funds from the sales of Mekong-Quilts go to supporting a wide range of environmental initiatives, administered by our parent NGO - Mekong Plus. Here are some initiatives that are funded by sales of Mekong-Quilts.
As the leader of Lac Ha village, Mr Vo Van Thanh is campaigning the people to make their village cleaner and more beautiful by visiting every household to encourage them to recycle plastic waste, instead of burning or throwing it away. The positive impact of this activity is obvious: every month approximately 200 kilos of plastic waste is collected and sold to fund 4 scholarships for children in the village.
In an effort to integrate environmental protection activities into our development program, Mekong Plus promotes bio-gas. Using the methane collected from pigs to fuel household stoves, bio-gas reduces CO2 emissions by burning the dangerous methane gas and saves one tree per unit per month. At only $55 per household, all supported by low interest micro-credit, Mekong Plus has installed several thousand units already.
Vietnamese farmers have in the past overused dangerous farming chemicals to make sure that they are effective. Consequently, soil quality is degraded, the environment is contaminated and in particular, people are poisoned. Hence, training sessions for the farmers to improve their agricultural practices are held in order to reduce overuse of chemicals. Lots of farmers acknowledge that the training has provided them with vital knowledge about how to protect the surrounding environment, their families and themselves. In addition, they are happy to spend the money they save from using less chemicals on improving their home.
Environmental protection has been a key development activity funded by Mekong-Quilts for almost ten years. Mekong-Quilts has played a significant role in supporting activities initiated by Mekong Plus and it is expected that poor villagers will benefit more and more from Mekong-Quilts expansion in the future.
Mekong-Quilts Ho Chi Minh City Makes it in The Lonely Planet
We recently recieved the wonderful news that Mekong-Quilts Ho Chi Minh City was reviewed in the newest edition of the Lonely Planet. Thank you to all those who reviewed our shops. Over the coming months we will be campaigning to get Hanoi, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap reviewed in the next edition. So, we kindly ask everyone to recommend one of these shops to The Lonely Planet. For just two minutes of your time you can help us enormously by attracting thousands of people through our doors, which will result in more women being employed.
Who We Are
Mekong-Quilts are a non-profit, community development project within the NGO of Mekong Plus. The program trains and employs women in rural areas of Vietnam and Cambodia, where employment is seasonal and can require the women to leave their families for extended periods of time. We aim to give these women permanent work, with a regular income, in their own village. Currently we employ around 240 women to hand-make, design and sell quilts and home accessories in Vietnam, Cambodia and internationally, but are always looking for opportunities to employ more.
For further information about Mekong-Quilts, and to view our catalogue of products, please visit our website.
