Papermakers & Artisans
In accordance with the Fair Trade Principles, we provide sustainable papermaking and artisan jobs in the Kegalle district of Sri Lanka. These jobs help build support of the local communities and are essential to the success of our conservation efforts.
The more paper we sell, the more jobs we create
Every purchase you make increases demand for our products, creating more opportunity for our workers. Every Mr. Ellie Pooh gift makes an impact — saving elephants, creating jobs, protecting trees.
Advantages our workers enjoy:
-
Most of our workers live local to the factory, and can conveniently walk to work
-
To earn extra income, artisans may take work home
-
Artisans have the freedom of expressing their creativity while earning an income
-
Our workers are proud that their products are sold in America and other countries around the world
Conservation through education
This unique method of papermaking directly contributes to the local economy. We train villagers to make our paper and hire artisans to create our products. We educate them to live among (and respect) the elephant in an area where humans and elephants often conflict. In this way elephants can be viewed as an economic asset, rather than a liability.