Sherpa Crafts and Collection Pvt. Ltd was founded in 2006 as a fair trade micro-enterprise working in the private sector to develop and promote the fine craft traditions of Nepal. In due course the company came in contact with local producers who were living in abject poverty and working in harsh conditions. Being highly aware of the social issues, Rabindra Maharjan, proprietor of Sherpa Crafts and Collection, who has extensive experience in the social sector, decided Sherpa Crafts and Collection had to address these issues. In the spirit of humanitarianism, Sherpa Crafts and Collection is committed to a shared partnership with low income artisans, cooperatives and producer groups to improve their lives by increasing their access to markets and resources. Many capacity building and income generation programs, management skills and marketing techniques organized by various national and international developmental organizations have been ineffective in meeting the objectives. Sherpa Crafts and Collection has taken the alternative path by prioritizing access to markets and resources. We believe that by implementing the principals of fair trade, we can provide the artisans with a better deal, social welfare funds, and better access to the global market.

There are many people who have been internally displaced and yet many more migrate to different places for various reasons, namely financial. Sherpa Crafts and Collection is devoted in the rehabilitation of such people by assisting them in restarting their workshops, providing technical assistance, other social amenities, as well as better access to the global market.

Mission 

Objectives

1. To identify grassroot artisans, disadvantaged women, minority communities, and small scale artisan groups scattered around the country.
2. To promote these artisans and their products through shared partnership in order to improve the livelihood of the low income artisans by providing fair wages for their work.
3. To deliver information and strategic contacts, skills development, and market access.
4. To work as a platform for the individual artisans, women, and small scale artisan groups.
5. To work together to bring new products on the basis of long term relations for continuous employment of the artisans.
6. To promote production through “manka jyasaa” (community workshop) a cooperative arm of Sherpa Crafts and Collections Pvt. Ltd.
7. To provide micro-credits to help upgrade workshops and better the working conditions.
8. To create a welfare fund that provides insurance, education, healthcare, and imparts other social benefits to the communities.
9. To provide vocational trainings and technological support to enhance the quality of production.

Products

Suede Leather

Suede Leather is a kind of soft leather made from the skin of goats and lambs with the flesh surface rubbed into a soft nap. The extraordinary texture of the leather has a special feel. It is waterproof and extremely durable. Traditionally, it was popularly used in the trans-Himalayan region spanning across Asia. Today, it is widely used in fashion accessories such as winter boots, bags and purses, mittens, caps, etc.

Our Nepali suede products are a unique fusion of traditional Nepali embroidery with the skin-processing techniques brought in by the immigrant minorities. Nepal’s religious tradition confined the production of leather to a small sect in the religious hierarchy. Our products are often processed and completed by people of this underprivileged class. The embroidery is done by women and minority immigrants. With the commercialization of suede leather products, a nearly extinct traditional art-form has been revived, and we are working closely with the communities to promote this attractive tradition. A significant portion of proceeds is given back to the community.

Woolen Products

Wool is obtained from sheep, yak, and other animals that are used to living in the cold. These animals have been domesticated to produce milk, meat, manure, wool, as well as to generate cash or for bartering. The animals are also used to ship goods across the Himalayas. Particularly, the strands of Tibetan wool used for making sweaters and rugs is a filament with an inside filling that absorbs the dye: resulting in colors that improve over time.

Our woolen products are exclusively hand woven by women, a significant number of whom suffer from hardships due to widowhood, divorces and abandonment. The intricate process of wool knitting and weaving requires adroit hands and mind. Instead of working in factories, our women artisans work at home in their leisure hours after tending to their household chores. Our fair wage system provides them with a much needed additional income that is used to educate their children.

Wood Carving

Nepal has a long tradition of woodcarving. Pagoda style temples have been built for centuries in Nepal and the architecture has been exported to China, Japan and Indonesia. These temples are richly decorated with woodcarvings. Woodcarving is embedded in the tradition of Nepal and is passed through generation to generation.

With the introduction of new products and access to global markets, the art of woodcarving has been revived and has reached a very high level. Especially in the Kathmandu valley, and more specifically in Bhaktapur, the cultural heritage has brought old arts to new life. The reconstruction and renovation of temples and palaces and building of houses and hotels in the traditional style has been crucial to this revival. In a number of small workshops in Patan (Lalitpur) and Bhaktapur, craftsman and women make beautiful wood carving products with tools which have been used for hundreds of years. Apart from being used in temples and houses, our other products include frames(photo), statues, masks and wooden toys. While making these woodcarvings, the craftsman/woman uses traditional patterns and designs. Making a piece of woodcarving is very time consuming. Depending on the experiences of the maker, the time involved in producing a piece is further related to the size and complexity of the work, and may take days or months.  

Pashmina is a kind of wool produced from the mountain goats of the Himalayas which are found above 4,500 meters, where perennial sub zero temperature is experienced. The mountain goats need to have a warm winter fur to protect them against the bitter cold and to survive in the extreme climate. In spring, the goats shed their winter fur for the lighter summer fur. The wool of the underbelly of the goat is used for Pashmina. A goat produces about 90 grams of wool per year. One woven Pashmina shawl requires the wool from three goats. Pashmina wool has the finest and thinnest fibers and is only 12-14 microns thick as compared to a human hair which is about 75 microns thick. The skilled weavers make the wool into beautiful Pashmina shawls of top quality. The shawls are individually colored in a bath and dried.

Felt

Felt is a fabric made of wool fibers or animal hair matted together by steam and pressure without spinning, weaving or knitting. Such fibers include wool, fur and certain hair fibers that mat together under appropriate conditions because of their peculiar structure and high degree of crimp. Felt products are purely made by shaping the raw wool with soap and water and human hand pressure, no chemicals are used during this process. Thus shaped product is dried under the sun. Due to its unique manufacturing process, any desired shape can be created.

As the skills necessary to produce felt products are relatively easy to acquire, many underprivileged women have become involved in this industry. This in turn has helped in improving their living standards and empowered them both financially and socially. Our products include handbags, hats, children and fashion accessories. 

Lokta paper is handmade in the mountains of Nepal from the inner bark of the lokta bush. Lokta is one of the strongest paper fibers which is found at altitudes of 7,000 to 9,000 feet, and since new growth regenerates quickly it provides a renewable resource for the artisans who depend on the fragile ecosystem of Nepal for their livelihoods. Proceeds from the sale of Lokta paper is returned to the cooperatives that make the paper, directly supporting workers in rural and urban areas of Nepal. The long fibrous handmade paper is prized for its attractive texture, its durability, strength and its resistance to insects.

About 80% of the artisans are women. Along with improving their living standards, we work closely with local groups in conservation and reforestation programs. Our products include cards, frames, notebooks, envelopes, lampshades, canvases for paintings, and other decorative items.

Dhaka Textiles

The Dhaka cloth is traditional Nepali fabric. The traditional colors of Dhaka cloth are black, white, red and orange, but no two items are identical: each has its own individual pattern, reflecting the creativity and skill of the weaver.

The main centre of Dhaka weaving, Terhathum, is in an area of the middle mountains some eight hours, walk from a road-head that was difficult to reach until quite recently. Today some of the finest Dhaka cloth is woven by Limbu and Rai women from eastern Nepal, both ethnic minorities. The majority of weavers are women. Dhaka cloth is made by the individual weaver in her own home at such times as she chooses or when her daily and seasonal tasks in the home and on the farm allows. This is another example of women utilizing their leisure hours to supplement their income. Our products include shawls, scarves, traditional Nepali dresses, table runners, wall hangings, handbags etc.

Bones and Horns

Bones and horns have been used for ages in Nepal in the mid-hills and the Himalayan regions. Also restricted to the religious undercaste of Nepal, the art form has revived since the introduction of new markets and increased interest. The high ornamental value of these products is suitable to the fashion industry. Our products include buttons, necklaces, bracelets, prayer wheels, lockets, charms and talismans, key rings etc.

Nepal also has other handicrafts of value which are unique and traditional. As Sherpa Crafts and Collection continues to grow, we plan to explore these traditions. Our possible ventures may include many forms such as Jewelry, Brass Statuettes, Singing bowls, hemp products, organic herbal products including tea and coffee etc.

Challenges

1. To identify artisans displaced across the nation, particularly those who are skilled and in dire need, and bring them together in standard workshops
2. To incorporate their leisure time into the production schedule of the workshop
3. To maintain uniformity in the products made by various artisans
4.   To meet the volume of products in a timely basis
5. To manage the diverse range of resources, locations, and markets
6. To adapt to the changing technological developments in order to compete with mass production of the factories
7. To ensure timely delivery of wages and raw materials to the needy artisans while ensuring the satisfaction of customers
8. To promote the products and gain access in the global market while competing with large specialized corporations

Bio Data of the Founder

Rabindra Maharjan, from Patan (Lalitpur), grew up in a farmer’s family in the Newar community and was exposed to the traditional arts and crafts of the indigenous nationalities of Nepal from his early childhood. He went on to study at the Budhanilkantha School, an elite academic institution, thanks to a scholarship program that was awarded to talented students. Since then, he has traveled extensively around Nepal’s remote regions. He has worked in the social sector for many years including in the National Scholarship Program (NSP) and was active in the formation of a conglomeration of human rights NGOs called Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP). He has extended his interest of social service in his brainchild Sherpa Crafts and Collection Pvt. Ltd.

Conclusion

Even in the short time since its inception, Sherpa Crafts and Collection has already had an impact in the lives of many women and people in the underprivileged community. One such example is the story of Chandra Kumari Maharjan (26), whose story is also told in our webpage.

Sherpa Crafts and Collection hopes to make a deeper impact in Nepal as we expand our horizons. Our vision of prioritizing marketing and access to a global marketplace is unique in Nepal. Our program called the “Manka Jyasa” (community workshop in the Newari language) will act as a platform for social development for the underprivileged people and communities of Nepal. We believe that our work will actively empower and make a difference in the lives of many Nepalese.