Who we are and where we came from
Sana Hastakala was established in 1989, with the financial and technical support of UNICEF, to promote and sell Nepalese handicrafts. Within two years it became self sufficient and has steadily grown ever since.
Today Sana Hastakala is a successful nongovernmental organisation (NGO) and a nonprofit organisation located in Laltipur, Nepal. With its own house staff and production unit, and more than 1200 outside individual producers, Sana Hastakala has grown beyond the dreams of 1989.
Continuously growing in terms of product lines and sales, it is an example of how successful a fair trade business can be. Products from Sana Hastakala are exported to many buyers around the world, including the USA, Canada, Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore.
Sana Hastakala is also very active in the fair trade community. It is a founding member of FairTrade Group Nepal (FTG) and a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO).
Key Objective
To meet the marketing requirements of Nepal’s handicraft producers, who are mainly women operating at a very small scale, often from their homes.
Additional Objectives
- To preserve Nepal’s rich artistic skills and craft techniques,
- To promote the exportation of Nepalese handicrafts,
- To motivate and support handicraft producers,
- To sponsor professional training workshops where appropriate,
- To promote handicrafts from different parts of the country, particularly from areas with lower levels of economic growth,
- To locate traditional handicrafts from all regions of Nepal and promote their high quality products, and
- To provide appropriate financial and technical support to craft producers.