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About NodeKumbeshwar Technical SchoolA Hand Made Craft 18 Rugs by 18 Artists
Beatrice Alemagna Sanna Annukka Lesley Barnes Petra Börner Chamo Benji Davies Chris Haughton Clayton Junior Jon Klassen Micah Lidberg Joe Magee Geoff McFetridge Neasden Control Centre Patternity Serge Seidlitz Marcroy Smith Kevin Waldron Donna Wilson
Special Thanks2–3 4–56–78–45 46
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We are a non-profit social business. Our aim is to combine great design with great fair trade projects in order to make as much impact for fair trade as we can. We have approached eighteen designers and illustrators to work with one of Nepal’s founding fair trade groups for a collection for the Design Museum shop. This project is designed to provide work and literacy for adult weavers, and schooling for their children.Node are Chris Haughton and Akshay Sthapit. Chris is a children’s book author and illustrator who has been working in fair trade for the last nine years. He was listed in TIME magazine’s DESIGN 100 for the work he has been doing for fair trade. In 2010, Chris spent eight months in India and Nepal working with fair trade groups. There, he began developing rugs with a fairtrade technical school. Chris sought Akshay’s help to grow the project. Akshay is a Kathmandu based entrepreneur with a passion for social projects. Together they call themselves NODE with the aim of connecting designers and artists together with craft based social projects. After a successful exhibition in the SO FAR THE FUTURE design gallery on Lambs Conduit St, London, they have created this collection which will be exclusively available from the Design Museum Shop.
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We produce all our rugs with Kumbeshwar Technical School in Kathmandu, Nepal. Kumbeshwar was set up by the Khadgi family who are traditionally from the pode community, the lowest caste in Nepal. In 1983 the Khadgi family created a non-profit technical school to help their caste out of poverty. Their work now has now extended to all disadvantaged individuals. Their weaving school recruits disadvantaged adults and offers an adult education and support centre. As well as given fair wages, their weavers are taught literacy and skills. With profits from the sales of rugs and crafts they also fund a large school of 260 with well trained and well paid teachers, providing students with free books and meals. In addition, they fund an orphanage for 25 children. KTS are a founder member of Fair Trade Nepal and are WFTO accredited.
kumbeshwar technical school
An Adult Literacy + Skills Training programme (6,000 graduates)A School of 260An Orphanage of 25