In Her Words: New Artisan Debut from Cambodia

Dear Ibu Allies,

There are many things in life that I love and value, but three of the most important things to me are nature, people, and the art of creating. Even before visiting Cambodia, I had a deep desire to help women in the Global South and to connect with their creativity and craft. 

My name is Ka-Lai Chan, and in 2016 I met a woman in The Netherlands (where I am also from) who was conducting a project in Cambodia, and I took the opportunity to volunteer with her for two months. For me, it felt like the beginning of a dream come true. The Kingdom of Cambodia is incredible—the people are genuine, cheerful and relaxed. The landscape, in particular the countryside and rice fields, are simply magical. Life here is simple and the crafts are stunning.

While volunteering in Siem Reap, I researched different local traditional crafts and spent time with families in the countryside. This was such an enriching experience; they were always happy and always laughing. But behind the smiles, I could see they were struggling with many challenges, the most obvious of which was their income level. They earned an average of $50 to $70 per month, which made it almost impossible to live within their meanss. Yet, many had such incredible weaving skills, particularly in one village I visited called Krobey Riel. With my entrepreneurial and designer background, I saw possibilities to help them and decided to remain in Cambodia. I met Baraing Tho, a local creative young man with the same vision, and together we started MANAVA in 2017. 

Translated from Sanskrit, MANAVA means humankind. We began with only four women artisans and now have grown to a wonderful team of 60 women. Our artisans weave jewelry, bags, and baskets from a rattan palm material called pdau and willow grass called la paek, which are fast growing and found throughout Cambodia, therefore very sustainable. We have a covered workshop in Krobey Riel village, where the women can gather together, but most choose to work from home because they have as many as four to six children. With their earnings from MANAVA, their family income has increased by more than 100 percent.

We are so grateful that Marisa at Ibu reached out to us to collaborate on the beautiful, custom design pieces being offered this fall. The result of the ancient, colorful patterns on the rattan bangles, bags, and earrings are stunning. For our artisans, this collaboration with Ibu means that their skills are valued and they have means to provide for their families through them. Your purchases help us tell our story to a wider audience. 

Best wishes,
Ka-Lai Chan
Founder & Designer, Manava