It's Our Fifth Anniversary!

Five years. I’ve been the captain of the Didi Bahini ship for five years.

I really believe in Fair Trade – it’s the best way I know to make a lasting difference in the lives of people in the developing world. In 2019, I was looking for a way to have a bigger impact in the field.  Operating a business wasn’t what I had in mind but when I learned about Didi Bahini and spoke to its owner Jane Gragtmans, I was captivated. I loved the mission, I loved the products and I thought I could move the business forward with my marketing experience and entrepreneurial spirit.

Jane’s marketing strategy had been mostly pop-up sales in large government buildings and she had been very successful. My vision was different – I planned to build the online retail business and seek out more stores to carry the brand. So few of Jane’s customers would become mine; I was starting from Square One.

It took some time to get comfortable with the products and website, and to travel to Nepal to meet my artisan partners. Read about that trip here. Just as I started to really feel the business was mine, the world was shut down by the pandemic.

As you can imagine, not too many people were interested in buying fashion accessories when they were panicking about keeping safe, so like so many other businesses Didi Bahini went into survival mode.

One of the amazing things about the pandemic was the new ways people developed to use the internet. Trade shows for retail stores were cancelled and from that was born online wholesale marketplaces. Faire is the leading marketplace and it has exposed my products to retailers I might never have found on my own, including a lot of great fair trade stores.

Faire has offered a steady cashflow for the business, which enables me to focus on attracting online retail customers. That can be a full-time job! Social media, paid advertising, newsletters and so much more. It’s complex and ever-changing.

I’m still a solopreneur, so the business only thrives when I thrive. I’ve had some health issues and challenges in my family, so there hasn’t been as much growth as I had hoped and planned for. Things are looking up now and I’m working to make 2024 the best year yet.

Fair trade is an exceptional approach to business that embodies respect, transparency and collaboration to create a more equitable and sustainable world. It enables artisans to share their beautiful handicrafts with customers around the world, ensuring that they create a strong foundation for themselves and future generations.

I’ve seen the difference fair trade has made in Nepal and I’m eager to grow Didi Bahini so its impact can touch more lives. As the next five years unfold, I will strengthen partnerships with first-rate workshops that embrace fair trade, while expanding the circle of customers who are delighted by the products.

I’m looking forward to what is to come and feel blessed to have the opportunity to continue to work in this important field.