Ten Thousand Villages

I have received no compensation in exchange for this post. I simply wanted to review these products. Prices are accurate as of time of publication.

One of the goals I have resolved to do this year is to make more ethical choices when it comes to my purchases. Most of items I purchase these days are for my household. My cream colored cotton napkins were getting a little dingy and stained. Thus I decided to get napkins that came in a darker color. I searched many different ethical and sustainable websites when I found Ten Thousand Villages.

Ten Thousand Villages is a part of a global maker-to-market movement that fights for social change and breaks the cycle of poverty. The items on the website are all ethically sourced with a focus on recycled, renewable, and locally sourced materials. Every purchase of a handmade item will directly impact the life of the artisan and their community in a developing country.

I bought the Darjeeling Napkins. They were a 100% cotton napkin in a dark brown color. The dimensions were 20 square inches. Each napkin costs $6.99 not including tax. The napkins were very durable. The dark color meant that there was a reduced risk of stains appearing after use. I have put them in the washing machine and dryer to clean. I was able to easily iron them on a setting suitable for cotton fabrics.

Other colors are available for these napkins; London Fog (pale lavender) and Rooibos (red brown). The napkins were hand loomed by artisans working at Sana Hastakala in Nepal. Sana Hastakala is a nonprofit nongovernmental organization based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The organization wants to preserve the traditions and artistic skills of the artisans of Nepal. 80% of the artisans are women.

My mother-in-law loves soaps for her guest bathroom so I thought I would get her a nice soap gift basket for Mother’s Day this year. The Beautiful Body Care Kit consisted of a natural fiber body scrubber, and two bars of soap. The soaps were scented with coconut and cucumber. The whole kit was wrapped in a palm leaf basket. The kit was $18.99 not including tax. My mother-in-law was grateful and thought the whole package was lovely!

The kit was created by two different artisan workshops in India. The soaps were handmade by artisans working with Palam Rural in Tamil Nadu, India. The soaps are all made in India using palm oil grown from local plantations. The palm oil used does not contribute to deforestation and provides work for the local farmers. The hand woven palm leaf baskets were created by artisans that work for Community Action for Social Transformation (CAST). CAST employs and provides healthcare for women affected by HIV and AIDS.

I was very satisfied with all the purchases and will definitely be buying more from Ten Thousand Villages. I hope you enjoyed my review of Ten Thousand Villages!

704 Main St, PO Box 307, Akron, PA 17501-0307

Customer service: 877-883-8341

General inquiries: 717-859-8100

https://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

#LiveLifeFair

DID YOU LIKE THESE PRODUCTS?

Tag @culinary_cupcake when you upload your photo on Instagram and hashtag #culinary_cupcake