Producer Profiles > Manakamana Craft

Producer Profiles

Manakamana Craft
www.manakamanacraft.com

This Pashmina company was founded by Shiva Sharma in 2001 and currently employs eighteen employees in its three different sections: initial production, dyeing, and finishing/packaging. Seven of their workers are female and eleven are male. All of Manakamana’s products are handmade, and their product range includes Pashmina blankets, sweaters, gloves, scarves and shawls. They import their raw material from China and their dyes from Switzerland, and export their finished products to countries around the globe including the USA, UK, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Australia and Portugal.

Manakamana is committed to prioritize product quality and honesty in all their dealings, keeping good business trust with their clients. The company aims to create a friendly, family-type atmosphere and hopes to create strong relationships between all staff members, that go beyond formal to form true friendships. Manakamana does not condone exploitation of any kind and does not employ child labor. The owners hope to uphold worker rights and take care to honor overtime pay and observe all holidays.

AMBER BAHADUR PAUDEL

Amber works on the dye crew with Manakamana Craft. He is the oldest employee at this company – not in age but in seniority, having started working for them when they were first founded in 2001. With his skill and experience, he is also in charge of providing basic training to any new interns or employees.

29-year old Amber is a hardworking and honest worker who rents a room nearby where he lives with his wife and two young children. As the sole provider for the family, he makes a base salary of around 5000 rupees a month and also supports his handicapped mother who lives in his hometown. Although he is illiterate, Amber knows it is important for his children to attend school. When asked about his current situation, he replies that his is happy and has done a lot at his current workplace – although more financial security would be nice, it is difficult to find any better opportunities these days.

KALPANA KARKI

A woman of 35 who spends her days creating fringes on shawls, labeling scarves and packaging them, Kalpana is a skillful and hard-working member of the Manakamana community. She is married and has one child. Kalpana used to work in a different factory but joined this company and is happy here. She makes a base salary of between five to six thousand rupees a month at her job in the finishing/packaging sector, and also monitors product quality by conducting routine checks. She is satisfied with her job but like many other Nepali artisans, hopes for more financial security through a “personal business” that she hopes will do well.

RANJAN CHAND

Ranjan is a 25-year old man who works in the initial production line of the pashmina factory. He is not married and makes around 8000 rupees a month. He has worked for the factory for about a year and a half and is satisfied with his job and wants to continue with this company in the future. He lives at the factory itself with three other workers.

In this sector, which involves spinning and weaving on traditional looms, there are 8 employees – two women and six men. They make between 3,500 to 13,000 rupees a month depending on factors such as overtime. Although they work long hours, between 10 to 12 hours a day, they are happy with their boss.