HOME

Affordable handmade housewares from Others, the Salvation Army’s global social enterprise

Affordable handmade housewares from Others, the Salvation Army’s global social enterprise


Simple Beautiful and Affordable Everyday Wares from the Salvation Army Enterprise Others portrait 3

Ever heard of the Salvation Army’s online shop Others? We hadn’t either. But the global social enterprise—offering quietly beautiful, artisan-made household objects—is now celebrating its 25th year. “Creating work for those with limited opportunities” is the group’s M.O.

“Our key goal is to create jobs and, in that way, contribute to empowerment and poverty alleviation,” explains Others’ general manager, Bo Christoffer Brekke. That includes “self-help groups focusing on women’s opportunities in Kenya; a production center in Bangladesh with our own sewing, handloom, and woodwork sections; and also partnerships with Salvation Army projects working with sex trafficking victims.”

In addition to applauding the ideas behind Others—including fair working conditions and wages, and the use of natural, sustainable materials—we admire the actual work being produced. A Scandinavian simplicity and notable sense of restraint runs through the home collection, which, we discovered, is no coincidence: All are created under the guidance of Oslo, Norway-based design director, Ellen Skaar, who says that minimalism appeals to the Salvation Army’s far-ranging markets.

“We usually start with the producer when designing: which production groups do we know need more work, what are their skillsets, and what are the available tools and materials?” Ellen tells us. “Some of our artisans come from a tradition of handicraft and are very experienced; some have just been trained to make a specific product. Our largest group are women who need to work from home. Small products requiring little equipment are perfect for this.”

Here are 10 of our favorite items from the Others USA online shop. Prices, you’ll notice, are very reasonable, and revenue gets funneled to the makers and to the nonprofit’s future projects.

all cotton dishcloths in natural and dusty green are \$\13 for the two. a simil 12
Above: All-cotton Dishcloths in Natural and Dusty Green are $13 for the two. A similar looking Knitted Green Potholder is $11.

The name Others comes from a telegram Salvation Army founder General William Booth sent to remind his officers of the reason for their work: it contained the single word “Others.”

striped aprons in blue and white or red and white, \$\18, are made of \100 perc 13
Above: Striped Aprons in blue and white or red and white, $18, are made of 100-percent cotton hand-woven on traditional looms in Jashore, Bangladesh. “We have a weaving unit; it’s a traditional craft for men as it is quite heavy,” says Ellen.



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *