Purnaa’s 2025 Impact Report: Ethical, Fair Trade Manufacturing in Nepal
- The Purnaa Team
- Aug 12
- 5 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
As a social enterprise and ethical manufacturer, we publish an annual impact report to reflect on our journey as a Fair Trade factory in Nepal and share what we've learned. Read on for key highlights and to download the full report.
2024: A Year of Growth, Resilience, and New Beginnings
2024 was a milestone year for Purnaa. We welcomed over 50 new employees and moved into a purpose-built Fair Trade factory that was years in the making (more on that here). As an ethical manufacturer, this year we’ve expanded the ways we support our staff beyond the workplace. We partnered with a local school to launch subsidized education including before and after school programs for the children of Purnaa employees. This has been especially meaningful for single mothers, who can now ride the Purnaa bus with their children to and from work and school, knowing they’re well cared for during the day.
Our internal support systems also grew. Through the Empowerment Fund, we continued to offer life-skills training, response to emergencies, and provided care well beyond what a traditional business could offer. Our staff development team launched trauma healing workshops, now in their second round, as part of our ongoing investment in holistic wellbeing for staff.
The year also brought challenges to the factory. In July, a key road near our new factory was damaged, restricting vehicle access for months. In September, severe flooding disrupted operations and affected several members of our team. Still, we pressed on, expanding our admin team to meet the needs of a growing company and preparing for deeper impact in the year ahead.
We happily expanded our customer base as an ethical cap factory and strengthened our reputation as a leading ethical stuffed toy factory.
We’re deeply grateful to our partners, staff, and supporters who walk with us in this work as a social enterprise. Thank you for your continued support! We’re excited to share what we’ve accomplished, and what comes next.
This Year’s Big Events
👷♀️ 53 new employees and 63 people trained Each received 2-week orientation, 1–6 weeks of technical training, and 3 months of salary support while they built confidence and speed on the job
🏗️ Completed the construction of our new factory and moved in
🚌 Free bus system and scooter program improved commuting for staff
🏫 Partnership with a local school enabling education, childcare, and support for staff families
📚 Staff Learning and Development department was launched to support professional and emotional growth
The Power of a Good Job
At the heart of our mission is the belief that good jobs can change lives. A job at Purnaa doesn’t just provide income, it brings stability, dignity, and hope for the future. Most of our team members come from backgrounds where opportunity has been out of reach. Employment often marks a turning point.
Over the years, we’ve seen that continued employment at Purnaa leads to improved economic security. Staff consistently report increased confidence in their ability to meet their needs and reduce debt. That impact is even more visible in the first few years of employment. This year, we saw that more than 80% of staff felt they earned more at Purnaa than they could elsewhere.
Economic Impact Highlights
In response to inflation and increased living costs, we raised piece rates and salaries again in 2024, 10% on average for production teams, and 13% for admin staff. These increases brought our team’s economic wellbeing back in line with pre-pandemic levels. We also revisited our living wage estimate for Kathmandu, which is now Rs 26,300 per worker, based on a family of four. Our team calculates the average living wage in Nepal each year to ensure that we are benchmarking against our staffs needs. Achieving a living wage is critical to us as a social enterprise and a WTFO Fair Trade factory.
Over time, we’ve noticed real change in people’s financial lives. Long-term staff report improved ability to save, invest in home improvements, or purchase things like scooters, winter clothing, and computers, essentials that increase quality of life and independence.
Empowerment Fund
The Empowerment Fund continues to be a core part of how we support our team beyond their wages. In 2024, we provided training stipends for new employees, scholarships for children, adult education programs, and emergency support. Most notably, when historic flooding hit Kathmandu, we were able to respond quickly, helping affected staff replace lost belongings, repair homes, or relocate to safer housing.
Through this fund, we also supported the K2K repatriation program for trafficking survivors, funded counselling services, and celebrated employee birthdays and holidays together. In total, almost $82,000 was spent through the fund, directly benefiting our team and their families.
Environmental Responsibility
We’re committed to reducing our environmental impact, even as we grow. Our new factory uses energy-efficient equipment, LED lighting, and rainwater collection systems. In 2024, we continued to produce less than half the water usage per employee compared to industry averages. We also prioritized natural and recycled materials in our products and switched to compostable packaging where possible. Although some customer-supplied packaging still uses plastic, we saved over 11,000 plastic bags from landfills last year through our own materials.
Additionally, 1056 kg of production scraps were upcycled into cushions and stuffing, reducing textile waste while giving materials a second life.
Areas for Growth
While we’re encouraged by our progress, we know there’s more to do! Not all employees are yet earning a full living wage, and we’re working to improve production efficiency to change that. We also want to see more of our customers opt into our compostable packaging options and are exploring better ways to track and eventually reduce emissions from air shipping, which remains one of our largest environmental impacts.
Looking Ahead to 2025
In the coming year, our goals are focused and practical:
Create at least 20 new jobs for people, focusing on those from marginalized backgrounds
Improve efficiency and training to help more employees reach living wage earnings
Expand our customer base for sewn and crochet products, grew our reach as an ethical stuffed toy factory
Continue to strengthen our support systems and environmental practices
How you can support Purnaa
Order from Purnaa, your very own ethical manufacturer!
We produce custom caps, bags and toys from quantites as low as 48 pieces, alongside our custom manufacturing. Find out more here.
Send good manufacturing clients our way
Brands that share a commitment to clean supply chains and empowering people through business - especially those seeking an ethical cap factory or an ethical stuffed toy factory. Start here.
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