Purnaa's Expansion: A New Fair Trade Factory and the Promise of More Jobs in Nepal

It’s been a busy month here in Nepal at Purnaa. We officially opened our new site, premiered our new Mission Video, had our Easter Picnic and opening celebrations with employees and moved into our new Fair Trade factory.

Purnaa’s New State-of-the-art Fair Trade Facility

After a six-year search for the ideal location and two years of construction, our new Fair Trade factory opened this month.

The state-of-the-art facility, designed with sustainability and functionality at its core, marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for us. It will house our 250 employees and allow us to expand to meet our audacious goal of creating 1000 dignified jobs in Nepal.

Features of the factory include natural temperature regulation, cutting-edge building materials, and a thermo-dynamic ventilation system, all adhering to the highest earthquake safety standards. Additionally, the facility boasts rainwater collection systems and recreational spaces, including a rooftop garden, to enhance our employees' well-being.

Supported by social enterprise grants and low-interest loans, this project embodies Purnaa's dedication to Fair Trade ethical manufacturing and provides a solid foundation for creating even more sustainable livelihoods in Nepal.

The Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Purnaa's ribbon-cutting ceremony showcased our deep appreciation for our supporters and provided a perfect platform to share our vision and aspirations for the future. The event featured a bilingual keynote speech by founder Corban Bryant, site tours for guests, and a traditional 'khada' ceremony, where we presented scarves as tokens of appreciation to those who have supported our journey.

Esteemed guests included representatives from the U.S. Embassy Nepal, UN Global Compact Network Nepal, Ftg Nepal, Kumbeshwar Technical School, USAID, Embassy of Switzerland In Nepal, AmCham Nepal, local police and political representatives.

The event was also attended by Purnaa's Board Members, the construction team, and the designers and architects who have all played a pivotal role in the creation of the factory.

3 people cut the ribbon to open a new building

An excerpt of Corban Bryant’s keynote speech:

Our goal is to provide good job opportunities to people who come from very poor backgrounds, suffer discrimination due to caste, disability, gender, or religion, those who are widows or orphans, and those who have suffered exploitation in other work.

When we hire new workers, we reach out to various NGOs and community partners to help us identify workers from these situations.

And, although we require an interview and skills test, we give hiring preference for these backgrounds.

We provide on-the-job training and life skills training and salary support as people get up to speed.

We provide school allowance and soon transportation allowance and bus to get to the factory.

We have adult learning scholarships and we seek to comply with all labor laws.

We seek to always provide a living wage, not just a minimum wage to all of our staff.

In 2017 Purnaa became a guaranteed member of the World Fair Trade Organization.

Through WFTO’s detailed audit process, we guarantee that we are following the values of a Fair Trade company including preventing exploitation of any kind in our factory or in our supply chain, providing a living wage, caring for the environment, and uplifting marginalized people.

Purnaa Premiers New Mission Video

To commemorate the beginning of this exciting new chapter, Purnaa commissioned a mission video created by the talented team at Story Company. This new video highlights Purnaa’s purpose, goals, and commitment to providing sustainable livelihoods in Nepal through Fair Trade manufacturing.

Purnaa’s Easter Picnic and Grand Opening

This year, Purnaa's annual Easter Picnic coincided with the grand opening of our new factory, turning the celebration into an extraordinary event for over 600 attendees, including our employees and their families. Hosted at our new facility, the gathering was an exciting opportunity for everyone to explore and enjoy their new workplace.

The day was filled with engaging activities, from lively games and challenges to dancing. A highlight was the skit performed by our leadership team, which added a personal and festive touch to the celebrations.

Group photo of employees and families outside a factory

Moving week!

The final step in our month of celebrations was the relocation from both of our old factory sites to our new facility. The move involved about 3 trucks, 20 movers, and over 60 truckloads to transfer everything from our previous sites to our new home. This included about 100 sewing machines, 60 knitting machines, dozens of other machines, shelving, tables, chairs, and tons (literally!) of fabric inventory.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our friends, supporters, and most importantly, the entire Purnaa team, whose dedication and hard work made this transition to our new factory possible.

Manufacturing with Purnaa in Nepal

We specialize in producing Fair Trade products that can meet customer’s environmental and social goals and publish an annual Impact Report to communicate the benefits ordering with us has to our community as well as how we measure and try to reduce our environmental impact.

Reach out today to speak to a sales rep and start your ethical production journey sales@purnaa.com

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To learn more about how our manufacturing process works, check out our other posts: