Jamm Paravur
Jamm Paravur is a South Indian workers’ co-operative that operates on a simple philosophy: pay women workers a fair rate for stitching tote bags on industrial machines. The bags are good quality and ethically produced and their creation brings huge benefits to Paravur, the village where the co-op is located.
The co-op - and our involvement in it - was born out of a lucky confluence of circumstances. Jamm director Liz Shackleton was involved in sourcing ethically produced bags for a charity client when, by chance, she met Shanta Pillai, a driving force for good who was keen to set up a venture to benefit her original homeland community in Paravur. Liz realised that if tote bags could be made in Paravur for a reasonable price, they could bring work and opportunity to a whole community. Thus the idea was born.
Start up capital for the Jamm Paravur co-op came from the charity client’s pre-payment of half of the initial order costs, along with an interest free loan from Jamm. A building was purchased, staff recruited and trained, Shanta became an expert in textiles, the bags started rolling off the production line - and they haven’t stopped!
Now employing over 140 women, the co-operative provides them with vital income but also status and security. All profits are ploughed back into the co-op, Jamm don’t seek to make a penny out of it, we’re just delighted to have been instrumental in the creation of something so positive. Each bag is accompanied by the following note, which sums up everything Jamm Paravur stands for:
"I was made by the industrious women at the Jamm Paravur co-operative in Kerala, South India. I may look cream, but I am also green because I am woven from cotton from sustainable sources. I am practical, stylish and durable, thanks to the skill of my creators. But I look after them, too. By making me, the women earn up to four times what they would expect in other industries. They can pay off debt, feed their families and their children can stay in education. You can fill me until I'm heavy, but I won't be a burden on your conscience".