“ We see GoodWeave as a critical partner in our business, and cherish what they do … They’re necessary in our supply chain! “ PATRICK MCDARRAH, EMMA GARDNER DESIGN
Children participate in a classroom lesson at a daycare center in Nepal. © NIKKI THAPA / GOODWEAVE INTERNATIONAL
continuing education,” says Singh. For adolescent girls, they provide valuable Life Skills Education. “Sessions on de- cision-making, puberty, career [possi- bilities] and personal hygiene improve their confidence and empower them to dream bigger, to make informed choices about their future,” says Singh. In a program explaining their rights, girls might learn they do not have to marry at 14. Women of any age are encouraged to complete a high school education, even within a culture stressing the importance of husband and child. In 2021, GoodWeave began a CFC program in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, where 147 school-age chil- dren live. “School attendance was alarmingly low—just 30%. But through consistent community engagement,
awareness campaigns, and child- focused interventions, attendance steadily improved. After three years, the attendance rate has passed 90%,” Singh reports proudly. When the school received an award for the 2022-23 school year, the principal credited GoodWeave’s team for their vital role in this transformation. “This achievement reflects the power of collaboration in creating child-friendly, education-fo- cused communities.” In India, local residents sometimes choose to run a particular CFC as a type of day care center. That allows par- ents to drop off their children there, on the way to work. GoodWeave’s Child Protection Com- mittees help villagers become active advocates of education and protectors of children’s rights. “This fosters a
powerful cultural shift,” says Singh. “Communities understand the value of education, and their responsibility to ensure that no child in their village is subjected to labor.” Partners especially appreciate Good- Weave’s broader programs, like those addressing the health and well-being of weavers and artisans. For example, when free eye check-ups and “health camps” reach the communities where the rugs are produced, they’re signifi- cantly supporting the extended families of workers. INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT “Many of our licensed partners tell us that their association with GoodWeave makes them both proud and confi- dent—that their supply chains are being monitored with integrity, and
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