Once a year, our store hosts another non-profit organization, The Rug Program - Ten Thousand Villages, for just five short days! During those five days, we completely transform the main floor of our store, and we sell Handmade, Handknotted, Fair Trade Rugs!
This year our rug event is Wednesday, August 22nd through Sunday, August 26th.
Leading up to our rug event we will have several topical blog posts describing the different types of rugs available, how they’re made, who they support, and much more!
So…
WHO DOES IT SUPPORT?
The Rug Program supports over 850 families living in roughly 100 rural villages throughout Pakistan, offering them a fair and living wage for their amazing artistry.
Receiving a fair wage means that the artisan is able to build a better home, and create educational opportunity for their children.
GENDER EQUALITY
The Rug Program employs men and women equally and allows the rug artisans to make their rugs in their own home.
This gives them safety from travelling to a larger city, and ensures that not only the artisans benefit but the communities they live in will as well.
NO CHILD LABOR
The Rug Program also only employs adults, which in the handmade rug industry is an important standard to uphold. Instead the children can attend school and receive care from their parents who are able to work from the home.
REAL QUALITY
When an artisan knows they are being paid a fair wage for their time and work, they have the incentive to do their best job and to take their time with the product. This truth is a foundation of the rugs available through The Rug Program. The rugs have a quality like no other, and your family and generations to come will be able to enjoy their beauty.
SUPPORT A VILLAGE
Through The Rug Program, not only the artisan who knots the rug is benefited. From the shepherd who tends to the sheep from which the artisans get the wool,
to the finisher who cleans and trims the finished product: So MANY people are supported through the sale of each rug!
(All photos sourced from Ten Thousand Villages)
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To learn more about the rugs today you can visit rugs.tenthousandvillages.com and even view inventory to request certain rugs to our store.
You can also contact the staff at One World Market with questions anytime!
In our next blog post, we’ll describe how the rugs are made!
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