The Loyal Mantras

We have a few sayings that we repeat around the workshop. Things we say that help develop a strong sense of community and purpose.

We say, ‘This workshop is a shanti jayga’ (a peaceful place).

We ask, ‘What type of business is this?’ … and answer, ‘This is a mukti beabsha.’ (a freedom business)

And we say, ‘We are like a family.’

We are not just giving job opportunities we are forming a new community where self-worth is re-built and a sense of belonging and purpose is cultivated. When our ladies join the workshop we don’t just say they’ve become trainee artisans, we say they’ve become our sisters. We say that when one of us celebrates, we all celebrate. And when one of us suffers, we all suffer. When one of us loses a relative, we’ve all lost a relative. We cry together, laugh together, play together and work hard together.

So here at The Loyal Workshop we don’t just make bags with care and precision. We create them in the context of family.

And lately our immediate family has been growing. Last December six brave new trainees began the walk toward freedom with us. Last month they stepped up to full-time training. They’re all doing extremely well, in their fight to break their chains of oppression off and learning to create beautiful leather products.

This family needs to keep growing. I’m reminded of this every time we walk the lanes of our nearby red light area. There are so many wanting freedom, waiting for it, hoping for it, not knowing if it will come. For our 11 sisters, their lives and their families have changed forever. Yet there are so many more.

Our extended family is growing too. Our support base is widening. Look out for us in the next edition of the Good Magazine (www.good.net.nz) one of New Zealand’s premier magazines. And we’ve already featured in the Haven Project Magazine from the US (www.indiegogo.com/projects/haven-magazine-volume-one). Grow family, grow!

We are so thankful for all our Loyal Advocates, you’re all much more than just fans. Thanks for being part of the family.

Peace

Paul