Our Project
Love Actually
In 2010, during a family trip to Cambodia, I fell in love with the country, its culture and its people. As fate would have it, shortly after this trip I met Dany Frey in Zurich. Dany is originally from Cambodia and has been very active in supporting a Safe House in Cambodia. It was with her that I made my first trip to Battambang. There, I met spouses Theavy Bun and Patrik Roux who work for not-for-profit organization avec and are in charge of the Safe House and the attached vocational centre which includes a tailors' workshop where young women are trained to be tailors.
The idea to develop Femmes des Rizières (The Women from the Paddy Fields) was born when I saw the enormous workmanship, creativity and improvisational capacities of these young tailors.
By purchasing our products, you are supporting the jobs of these women and thereby providing them with an opportunity for a better and autonomous future.
Currently the pieces of our collection are being produced in the workshop of the not-for-profit organization avec, who also runs the Safe House and the vocational training. But we share the vision to build a mini-factory and thus be able to provide safe and secure jobs for even more young women. In addition, these women will be given the opportunity to bring their children to the adjacent kindergarten, fostering social contact between co-workers. All necessary materials (fabric, haberdashery, packaging..) should ideally be sourced locally.
The development of concept and design is solely the fruit of the volunteers' work. The proceeds from product sales go entirely towards the further development of the project in Cambodia. By purchasing our products, your are contributing to our goal!
Enjoy your products!