the BABI PUR blog

The little tin shed on the island of Ratankandi in Bangladesh is brimming with the sounds of productivity. Animated laughter drifts out through open windows before being swept away with the breeze that blows along the Ganges River bank. The dull shed walls fade away among the vibrant colours of the wool and cotton that are scattered along the workbenches, and before the end of the day will be lovingly transformed from lifeless fabrics to quirky, cute children’s toys. Read more...

In the 2009 New Years Honours List, Mrs Samantha Morshed, Founder of Hathay Bunano p.s. (HBPS), has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire), for her services to the rural poor and disadvantaged women of Bangladesh.

HBPS was started in 2005 with the aim of creating employment for the rural poor women of Bangladesh  that is fairly paid, good quality, flexible and local.   To create employment  that fits in with the women’s lives and prevents the need for economic migration and family separation.

HBPS works on the principle that mothers and babies should be together and that all mothers should be afforded the dignity to be able to adequately provide for their children.  That every adult should have the right to a good job and a decent home and that it is our responsibility as a society to enable this.

Samantha Morshed started HBPS by teaching a small group of women how to knit by hand and then finding an export market for those products.  HBPS now creates work for almost 3,500 artisans in 32 rural production centres all over Bangladesh and is continuing to expand rapidly through market demand.   The products are exported over much of the world to USA, UK, Australia, Scandinavia, Middle East and Europe.

Samantha Morshed is a British woman married to Golam Morshed, Chairman of HBPS, and Bangladesh is now her adopted home.  ‘Bangladesh is a beautiful country full of great potential.  It is a country rich in manpower who are waiting for the opportunity for good quality work.   Coming here five years ago, I felt that I had skills and abilities that could be put to good use to make the lives of some Bangladeshis a little better.   Five years on, we still have a huge amount of work to do but we have proved that it is possible and that is the greatest hurdle.’  Samantha Morshed said.

HBPS produces a whole range of hand knitted childrenswear and childrens products and these are also sold in Dhaka at Insignia on the Lobby Level of the Westin Hotel.

Little Green Radicals baby and children's clothing is all about fun, colour and slogans.  'I recycle my tantrums' and 'give peas a change' are just two of many popular catchphrases printed on T-shirts, playsuits, bibs and hoodies (coming soon).  Everything is exclusively made with Fairtrade certified cotton ensuring the farmers right at the bottom of the chain receive a fair deal for their crop and an extra premium to use on projects to help their local communities.  Not only this but everything is also made from organic cotton. . .

Growing organic cotton is very different from growing conventional cotton. All the cotton we use is hand-picked and organic. This ensures the farmers don’t have to handle dangerous chemicals and our clothing is kinder on your skin. The  cotton is certified organic to either Skal or Demeter standards. Since May 2006 all our prints have been produced using the most ecological water based inks available.

The company 'Hug' has recently been acquired by a giant of the ethical industry 'ethical superstore'. So with all these fantastic ethics, clothes and new financial backing we expect great things from 'Little Green Radicals' .  Look out for the latest baby and toddler range at Babi Pur

Imajo is a importer of hand made rag dolls from Sri Lanka and has now teamed up with Babi Pur selling these beautiful dolls online.  Rosanne pictured here has starred in a recent commercial for Harveys furniture at the start of Coronation Street.  Each doll is Hand made using locally sourced materials supporting the local community in as many ways as possible.  The factory they are made in operates Fair Trade standards and principles.

A few facts provided by Imajo LTD

• No employees under age 18
• Employees take home at least minimum wage depending on skills and experience
• Transport to and from work is fully paid for by employer
• Both employer and employees contribute to an "Employee Crisis Fund" which can be used to help employees through difficult periods
• Both employer and employees contribute to an "Employee Trust Fund" which can be accessed at any time.
• Refreshments are provided in employee canteen area
• Factory layout result of consultation with European Factory Manager
• Standard 44.5 hour week (8 hours Mon-Fri, 4.5 hours Saturday)
• Employees are granted paid annual leave and all public holidays are respected, including any religious holidays
• All female workers receive maternity pay and have the right to return

I think you'll agree, a great range of beautiful dolls has been added to the Babi Pur toy collection.  Shop Rag Dolls

Your house price is falling, your shares are loosing their value, your not sure your savings are safe, fuel and food bills are going up.  So can you keep your ethics during the credit crunch?  There's been reports in the papers of organic food sales falling and the possibility of people putting the price of goods before ethical concerns. 

We think there are plenty ways you can be green and ethical even when you think you can't afford to be.  The current trend of fast fashion and cheap throw away goods is not sustainable in so many ways.  Buying just a few high quality clothes instead of loads of cheap ones means they'll last longer and probably save you money in the long run.  Ebay is a great way to find second hand bargains, how many times have you bought something and never worn it, there are lots of new or nearly new things you can buy.  Why not find something in the loft you can sell as well to help pay for your new purchases.  Most people can get hand me downs for their children and maybe just buy one or two new things when they need them.  Ethical shopping isn't just about buying organic and fair trade goods it's about not buying unsustainable products.

The old 'free range chicken' debate is a good example, "I can't afford free range at the moment" , do people really mean this?  We can feed our family of four for a good two days with a chicken, thats pretty good value I'd say.  Organic food doesn't have to be expensive, there are always offers on and I bet there's a farm nearby offering a box scheme, you'll get fresher better quality food as well.  If your good at gardening and you've got the space why not grow some vegetables, they'll be the nicest most rewarding veg you've ever had.

So before you think you can't afford ethical products, just think about what you could buy instead. Our grandparents wouldn't have wasted so many resources, so why do we?