WE WORK TOWARDS A JUST SOCIETY.

WE WORK TOWARDS A JUST SOCIETY.

Through our business practices, we aim to contribute towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty, Decent Work & Economic Growth, Reduced Inequalities, and Responsible Consumption and Production.


LUCIA

LUCIA

58-year-old Lucia started weaving after learning the craft from one of her neighbors. Since then, she never goes anywhere without her weaving mats - she feels they are an extension of herself, always carrying them around and weaving in her spare time. She recently opened a small grilled tilapia stand where she is able to sell fish and weave at the same time.

Though she herself only finished sixth grade, she is proud to have been able to send both her kids to school.  One of them is now a teacher.

ANTONIO

ANTONIO

Antonio is a 52 year-old craftsman, and also the occasional tricycle driver. He has been working at his job for the past 25 years and has one child in college. All of the savings in his job goes to his child’s school tuition and allowance. His goal is to save enough in the future to build a house.

He finds his craft highly meaningful and enjoyable, and his favorite piece to create is a pumpkin.

VIVIAN

VIVIAN

Vivian’s main source of income is lala, a specific type of buntal weaving. She learned how to weave from her mother and has taken over her mother’s weaving business for the past 7 years. She enjoys being able to weave from home while tending to her daily chores. She also raises pigs in her small pig farm. At 44 years-old, she is married and has three children.

To her, a comfortable life means living with no debt and seeing her children finish school.

ALBERTO

ALBERTO

Alberto is a craftsman living in Bulacan, working as an artisan for the past 7 years. At 40 years old, he has previously worked as a factory operator after graduating high school in Manila. He now enjoys working his own hours, getting an early start by waking up at 5:00 AM every morning. As he is single, he shares the money that he earns with his parents to help them out.

His advice for aspiring artisans is to have patience, determination, and dedication.

DORY

DORY

44 year-old Dory has been a weaver in Pulong Gubat for the past 10 years. She used to be a seamstress back when she first got married, and her husband was the weaver. By the time she had her second child, the family was making banig (woven) bags, which became their livelihood. She was pregnant with her third child when she fully transitioned to weaving buntal, while her husband became a mechanic.

One of her favorite parts of the job is visiting other weavers and learning about new designs from the weaves that she creates. 

NORMA

NORMA

Norma heads one of the artisan groups we work with.  A mother of five, 57-year-old Norma says that the most critical factor to the success of their group is the artisans’ dedication and commitment to their craft. After her husband suddenly passed away earlier this year, she quickly had to learn the ropes of managing the community as well as learning the craft itself.  She now takes 13 skilled artisans under her wing who she treats as her own family.

"Thanks to LIKHA, we have been able to keep our livelihoods throughout the pandemic. While most people in our village lost their jobs, we have increased our production which enables us to continue providing for our families and sending our kids to school."