Linked with Kommaly Chanthavong – Laos.
Mulberries is a not-for-profit company that seeks to create income generating opportunities for Lao people in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.
Products;
What we do;
Contact.
Who we are: We are achieving this goal by encouraging the traditional community arts of silkworm rearing, reeling, weaving, and natural dyeing. Our company provides training, tools and a market for village people who wish to work towards a brighter future.
Lao Sericulture Company is working to strengthen communities by developing and refining the rich cultural resources that Lao villagers already possess. The production of traditional silk is a labor intensive project which can involve many people in many different aspects of the community. From the growing of mulberry trees to the creation of natural dyes, hand-crafted silk production utilizes local labor, local knowledge, and local resources. This, in turn, encourages village self-sufficiency and productivity.
An important part of our work is ensuring that resources remain for the future generations in Laos. Our company is active in promoting environmental awareness in the villages where we work. We encourage sustainable alternatives to opium production and harmful slash and burn agriculture by stressing the economic rewards of growing mulberry trees with organic fertilizers. We also show the villagers how wastage in the silk production process can be eliminated by creating dependency cycles between various community activities, such as livestock rearing and fisheries. Lao Sericulture also stresses the importance of the beautiful traditional natural dyes, which are more environmentally friendly than the widely used chemical alternatives.
See also this ‘Ten Thousand Villages‘-page.