Original
local craft

Sunflowers Group is the leader of organically dyed textiles in Myanmar. Founder Phyu Ei Thein travels all over the country searching for innovative ways to produce organic materials and dyes. Influenced by her artist father and 15 years of living in Japan, she started Sunflowers Organic Dye Textile & Crafts Shop in 2006 from a small brand and now has a weaving workshop in Nyaungshwe, where the weavers first inspired her to work with Myanmar textiles in 2004. Sunflowers produces cotton and silk scarves, all of which are dyed from natural roots and leaves.

Sone-Tu is born out of weavers in far-flung Chin State: The name Sone-Tu comes from ""sumtu,"" people living at the mouth of the river. Founder Mai Ni Ni Aung documented much of Chin's history of traditional backstrap weaving before she decided to create a market for the talented weavers. Sone-Tu works with Chin ethnic groups to preserve cultural identity and provide economic opportunities. Linking them with the modern world helps deconstruct stereotypes and discrimination against Chin people. Today Sone-Tu products can be found at their shop on Yangon's Bogalayzay Street and stockists such as Inle Heritage.

Tree Food is a jaggery and tea leaf sauce brand inspired by art and nature. Cho Lei Aung, the founder, studied medicine but decided to she wanted to invent and be creative every day. Sitting at dinner one day, she realized the piece of palm jaggery was so big that it took several bites to finish. She created bite-sized versions with flavors like ginger and tamarind and sold them in brown paper pouches with colorful hand-drawn designs. Recently, she expanded to tea leaf sauce, a pesto-like blend that goes well with rice, pasta and more. Tree Food can be found at many supermarkets across the country.

Flame Tree Sewing is a socially responsible business based in Yangon, Myanmar. Training unemployed disadvantage women and street kids in the art of sewing. For the past 4 years, the sewing project/business has taught vulnerable women and girls in all aspects of design and tailoring. Creating a successful line of traditional cushions, colorful bags and contemporary children clothes having these skills will make a huge difference in their lives and the lives of their families. It means that the kids will not have to go and work on the streets everyday and that their family will have less struggle finding the money for everyday basic. OR it means that an HIV Positive woman will have a job and a group of friends to help her through her difficult life. The project started 4 years ago under the name of Helping Hands Sewing with 4 women; now it involves 28 people and it is ready for a new adventure.

Helping Hands is a social business restoring old Burmese teak furniture and creating a range of homewares. Employing over 50 people, talented artisans work alongside disadvantaged young people, teaching them the art and skill of furniture restoration. Together they bring old dilapidated furniture back to life. All our bread boards and spoons are handcrafted from pieces of old teak wood. “We look out for each other and respect our own and others contribution in making our work great.”

TUBE is a social enterprise. The main product we use for our bags is recycled inner tube from bicycles and motorbikes. Rubber is among the largest and most problematic sources of waste causing a huge impact in the environment. Our goal is to help hill tribe women achieve better trading conditions and to promote sustainability. We promote sustainable development by securing their rights as well as higher by securing their rights as well as higher social and environmental standards. Women are still have less access than men to medical care, property ownership, credit, training and employment these women about hill tribe women. TUBe empowers these women by providing them with regular training, a fair income and a sustainable way of living. TUBE is a social enterprise founded by https://www.raintree-foundation.org/.

Plan Bee makes honey and other bee by-products in Southern Shan State in Myanmar. We are leveraging the unique bee-keeping potential in Myanmar to empower and improve livelihoods, nutrition and food security for thousands of vulnerable people, in particular women and landless households. Our ambition is to produce quality honey from nectar of the local plants that characterizes the region, improve the quality of honey, educate people about the importance of bees and their preservation, and market the honey as a unique local product both within Myanmar and internationally.