With IKEA planning on opening up in Navi Mumbai, Seams For Dreams has been following its progress and watching how the large furniture store has been taking up various social initiatives. We were thrilled to hear that IKEA is working with social enterprises to source some materials they plan to sell in the store when they launch!
Specifically, a social enterprise called Industree Foundation that is empowering female micro-entrepreneurs to help tackle poverty in the clothing manufacturing industry has been working with IKEA to bring some of their artisans’ handmade items to the store. Industree Foundation currently has 30,000 African and Indian women artisans on their platform and has created an e-commerce platform that allows them to sell their goods to retail centers.
This initiative is a worthy one, as women working in the garment industry commute an average of four hours to get to work and Industree has created a system where women do not have to commute more than 5 kilometres a day so they can keep more of the money they earn. The organization also educated the women on sustainable manufacturing methods including reducing the use of harmful chemicals and dyes.
We applaud Industree Foundation and cannot wait to see the goods IKEA has in store from our local female artisans!
Keep Giving in Style!
Team SFD
