Skeleton
Leaf operates as a Fair Trade business with a mission to create entrepreneurship
for third world countries with the desire and compassion to promote
the development of strategic alliances and relationships between both
worlds and to promote the concepts, values and practices of Fair Trade.
Skeleton
Leaf aims to raise awareness of Fair Trade via our in-house educational
material, and by providing honest information about our organization,
our products and the conditions in which the products are made. We only
use honest advertising and marketing techniques and always strive for
the highest standards in all aspects of the organization including product
quality and packing and so on.
We
promote and market products from Thailand, Egypt and the African continent
made by people who offer their culture and skills and more often than
not receive very little recognition or financial benefit. We honour
the craftsmen’s skills, which come from their own hearts and
minds; their art reflects their feelings and impressions of their
homeland.
We
trade with the craftsmen directly thereby eliminating third parties
and ensuring fair payment for their products.
• Skeleton Leaf operates a gender equity policy, ensuring that
women’s work is valued and rewarded. We only deal with suppliers
that pay ALL staff regardless of gender and that ALL staff are empowered
within their organization.
• We provide assistance for cash advances and consistent purchases
to enable the craftsmen to grow and sustain production.
• We assist them in quality control of their products so that
they can ensure sustainable pricing and earn consistent incomes.
• We promote fair-trading that empowers local communities for
a better living environment.
• We actively promote and encourage better environmental practices.
• All products reflect the sensations of the rich cultural tradition
and heritage of Thailand, Egypt and AFRICA.
• Many of our craftsmen have had no or little education, but
their crafts depict the skills they have been blessed with.
Skeleton Leaf operates as a business with a compassionate mission
by maintaining integrity in our actions and relationships. We market
quality products from diverse cultures around the world made by people
that we know and care enough about to do business with in a manner
that together we consider fair. We are committed to focusing our work
on activities that support the reduction of poverty through income
generation, building better business relationships and ongoing trade
relations.
Fair
Prices, Prompt Payment
Artisans and
buyers from Skeleton Leaf work together to set a fair price for their
products. In order to protect the artisans from incurring burdensome
production costs, Skeleton Leaf pays an advance of up to 50 percent
at the time of order, and artisans receive prompt final payment when
the order is shipped. Ultimately, this method of compensation enables
artisans to avoid high borrowing costs and to cover labour and material
costs while providing for their families.
Through our
regular purchases and long-term relationships we try to grow together
with artisan groups. Along the way, we believe that it is important
to introduce artisans to other buyers as well so that they can
establish a broad and stable customer base.
Because
of our commitment to long-term relationships, artisans can plan
for the future, confident of consistent orders, year after year.
Ongoing interactivity and collaboration between our designers, buyers
and artisans helps in the refinement of product offerings so that
the needs and wants of the marketplace and our mission continue
to be met.