Unfortunately, working the soft marble is a very dusty process, especially as for reasons of cost, the dust produced in sawing, drilling and carving the marble is removed by fans that blow it about rather than by suction. Several workers, including the owner, suffer from serious lung illnesses. The workers have asked us to set aside some of their Fair Trade Premiums for purchase of dust extraction equipment. A donation to VFT will make it possible to start installing this in the near future.

Inner Reflection employs twenty people, making candles and incense products. For some years this firm has been exporting its products through an IFAT member. Riaz Khan, owner of the business and a Fair Trade enthusiast, has pioneered a micro-banking scheme for his own employees.

Decorating candles with flower petals at Inner Reflection

The Kurumba Tribe of the Nilgiri Hills (in the mountain range of the Western Ghats) collects honey from hives of wild bees in trees and on cliff faces of the forest, but until recently, the wax honeycombs were discarded. However, the wax is very pure and some of it even has important ayurvedic medicinal properties. Some of this wax is brought to Pondicherry where it is filtered, perfumed with natural oils of lemon grass or ylang ylang, and made into candles in terra cotta pots by Inner Reflection. For more information on the Kurumba tribe and honey-hunting in the Nilgiris see www.keystone-foundation.net and www.ntfp.org.

Sathya Handicrafts, a sewing unit set up in a tsunami-devastated village, makes cotton bags of various kinds. More details are given in our page on Livelihood Initiatives.

Venkateswara Wood Industries is an extended family business of Mr and Mrs Thambidurai, employing up to eight people, depending on the work available. Their wooden spoons, bowls and plates are amongst our most popular products.

Their workshop has not been usable during the three months of the monsoon. However, with their increased income through Fair Trade, and substantial Fair Trade Premiums, they have been able to build themselves a new workshop and home - see our Current Developments page.