Wednesday, 15 April 2009

Maya Organic - India





Maya Organic is a livelihood development Initiative that helps micro-entrepreneurs build a network of sustainable enterprises that makes impeccable quality products by collaborating and partnering with umbrella structures to manage supply, product development, design and marketing. Maya Organic aims to create wealth and build capabilities of poor informal sector workers and their families.
Maya Organic designs and produces lifestyle products such as home and institutional furniture made of solid wood, wooden organic lac coloured toys and Apparels from natural fibre. The products are sold under the brand name of MO.
MAYA, a Karnataka-based development organisation, was initiated in 1989 with the primary focus of eradication of child labour, working with communities across slums and low-income areas of Bangalore Urban & Rural districts.. The early years focussed mainly on enrolment of children to formal school and interaction with parents and other community members to facilitate an enabling and supportive environment. Over time however, the organisation realised that while direct relief measures are necessary, a long-term and effective solution is only possible if systemic causes of poverty and child labour are addressed.
MAYA ORGANIC is a programme initiative of MAYA that has evolved from these experiences, seeking to address livelihood issues of the working poor within a systems perspective.
The MAYA ORGANIC team includes full-time staff members at MAYA who are closely engaged in building the institutional capacities of the worker-owned enterprises in the different sectors (presently garments, lac-ware and construction). A centralised team of MAYA ORGANIC Support Services offers marketing and design support to the various sectors.
In keeping with its focus of building institutional partnerships, MAYA ORGANIC also encourages interested professionals and students to volunteer with the initiative; thereby enhancing their learning horizons and contributing to the development of the informal sector.

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