ABOUT Asia Charisma

MISSIONS and GOALS

Our goal is to bridge the gap between world wide wholesaler and retailers and the Karen hill tribe artisans. With our ability to communicate and understand importer's needs, we are able to relay any specifications and requests to the silversmiths whom we have close business-relations. In doing so, we hope to create more opportunities and a steady stream of work for Karen hill tribe artisans so that they may continue improving their own lives by way of honest trade. By keeping a Karen artisan working, we help conserve the trade, keep another Karen from turning to drug trafficking and another Karen girl from being sold off to the human-trafficking ring and prostitution. With your purchase, we help another human being.

Our Fair Trade Policy

Asia Charisma is a manufacturer and wholesaler of hand made Thai Karen hill tribe silver beads and many types of silver jewelry components. All of our silver jewelry components are made of "high content" silver ranging from 95% to 99% in silver purity. We work closely with our Karen hill tribe friends and artisans which allow us to manufacture beads and jewelry with high quality standard. We do not "employ" any Karen artisan within our company, rather, all of our products are purchased and ordered directly from Karen families in Prabhat Huaythom Village, Jungwat Lamphun (Northwest mountain range of Thailand). Since we are not silversmiths and do not know how much work and effort is actually put into each bead, we feel that pricing should not only be based on the value of silver and the exchange rates but also by the amount of effort and laborious time put into each design. Who better to judge this but the Karen silversmiths themselves? By allowing the artisans to price their own silver components, we feel that each Karen family receive the maximum financial benefit for their hard work.

Working conditions for all hill tribe families will vary, depending on each household's capital and earnings. In short, if a product sells well that belongs to a particular family, it is likely that the family will gradually improve their working conditions as well as their livelihood. At Asia Charisma, we make an effort to check up on our artisans by visiting them in their village homes. We are glad to say, every time we visit there seems to be improvement in living condition which makes us proud to do this work.

Is Asia Charisma a registered Fair Trade Company?

No. But not because we do not want to be. We feel that as long as we can continue selling our products, giving our artisans the best financial benefit they are happy to receive and our customers are fully satisfied, there should not be any need to add onto the overhead with registering fees and other policies. We fully support the Fair Trade Federation and believe in their values but since we are a small business, going about it our it our own way has comfortably benefited everyone involved, the Karen artisans in particular. We are happy to continue our work and our artisans would say the same about selling their products to Asia Charisma.

Please see our KAFA program for more information.