Handmade greetings cards

I also am in the initial stages of conducting an income generation project for the female inmates. I had the idea that they can make handmade greetings cards, focusing now only on Christmas cards, but this will develop into other types of cards in due course. I have a women who is skilled in embroidery visit the prison to train the women in how to make Christmas designs on cloth. I then will attach the cloth pieces to handmade paper from Sri Aurobindo paper factory in Pondicherry. These cards cost me about 38p to produce, which includes the cost of materials, shipping and payment to the women. Money from sale of these cards will go towards the next batch and also it is hoped to extend this programme to released women and wives of current male prisoners who have been ostracised from their communities and have little chances in making an income for themselves or their family...

I also have been granted permission to sell paper products from Sri Aurobindo’s paper factory. They make really nice files, notebooks, photo albums, picture frames, cards etc, all from 100% natural paper. I also will be relying on my own ability at fundraising from the public, of which I have a few ideas, and also from friends and family. I invite you to take a look at my website www.holdinghands-international.org and see my accounts pages. I want to keep everything I do, and everything I spend totally transparent, so that people can know where every penny is spent. posted by Ruth at 2:42 PM Friday, July 07, 2006