Profile of CONTIGO´s partner Toucan Krafte

Supply chain

Trading Partner: Toucan Krafte, microenterprise
Function: Producer
Structure: Own production plant, affiliated production groups
Tradeway: Direct import CONTIGO

Products

Costume jewellery made of recycled sari fabrics

Location

Ghitorni, urban village in the South West district in the state of Delhi, India– distance to Europe: 6.000km

Founded in 2003

History

• Managing director Shaina works for her husband’s company, who sells leather goods and furniture as a designer; over time, the idea of starting her own business with a meaningful project germinates
• 2003: Foundation of Toucan Krafte
• 2019: Toucan Krafte becomes a member of the Indian organization “Fairtrade India”
• 2020: A second building is rented for showroom and packaging department

Cooperation with CONTIGO since 2018

Structure of the business

Number of employees: 

• Managing director: Shaina Jarg
• In the main office:
  • 12 permanent employees
  • 40-50 women in production, depending on order situation, on a daily wage basis (mainly training and repair work)
• Departments:
  • Design, product development
  • Customer support
  • Production support: training of new artisans for home production
  • Quality control
  • Shipping, Export
• Cooperation with 20 groups in Ghitorni (a total of 300 women are employed) who produce the beads and finished jewellery at home

Work organisation: 

• New employees are first trained in the central workshop: beadmaking, assembling and finishing of costume jewellery
• Trained ladies work at their homes in the neighbourhood: this allows them to take care of the family (children, relatives) and the household chores
• All working materials are supplied by Toucan Krafte, processed orders are delivered to the quality control at Toucan Krafte office
• Control and repair work is done in the central building. Women can bring their small children. They find books and toys to pass the time while the mothers are working
• Homeworkers receive piece rated wages which are calculated according to time and effort

Sales

• Exports (100%) to the U.S.A., France, Spain, Great Britain, Mexico, Finland, Japan, Netherlands, Italy, Greece

Goals

• To produce sustainable products: use of only upcycled materials, handcrafted instead of machine made, link up to date design and upcycling
• To improve the income conditions for women in the urban village by permanent employment
• To promote the school attendance of the beading ladies children

Special features

Education is the key to a better life: The only requirement to work as a beadmaker for Toucan Krafte is to commit to sending the children to school. Shaina herself is in contact with the school directors to keep up to date on the development of the children in school. Depending on the income situation Toucan Krafte supports the families financially for school expenses (fees, uniforms, learning materials), currently Toucan Krafte supports 50 children.

Why does CONTIGO work with Toucan Krafte: The social orientation of Toucan Krafte with the aim of creating fair income opportunities especially for women, combined with the focus on recycling materials and waste reduction, resulting in beautiful products make Toucan Krafte an ideal partner for CONTIGO.

 

 

Fairtrade classification

FTA = Fairtrade Approved

 

Fairtrade aspects

Toucan Krafte complies with the following Fairtrade Principles:

No child labour

No discrimination

No discrimination due to gender, disability, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political orientation, or infection with HIV

Fair wages

• Minimum wage in Delhi: INR 12,610/month (INR = Indian Rupee) 
• Wages at Toucan Krafte:
  • Permanent employees receive between INR 15,000 and 20,000 / month
  • Production employees receive an agreed daily wage
  • Home workers receive piece rated wages which are calculated according to time and effort
    • The fastest employee receives INR 28,000/month
    • Average earnings between INR 5,000- 7,000/ month
• Monthly payment in cash and against cheque
• Travel allowance
• Overtime is remunerated twice over

Humane working conditions

Working hours:

• 8 hours/day
• 1 hour break for tea and lunch
• 6 days/week 

Social benefits:

• Paid leave
• Continued payment of wages in case of illness or accident (18 days)
• In case of need: financial support for the education of the children of the homeworkers (school fees, school uniform, medical emergencies)

Educational opportunities:

• Thorough induction training in the central workshop

Transparency

• Work contracts are available
• Payroll is available
• Pay slips are available
• SAR (Self Assessment Report) was duly submitted to CONTIGO

Monitoring

• Personal visits in Ghitorni (2020)
• Member of Fairtrade India (since 2019)

 

Country information

See Encyclopaedia Britannica: India

 

Photos