Bike Bits Upcycled
People Behind The Products
In 1986, businessman, Samuel Masih observed exporters and middlemen taking advantage of many handicraft artisans and resolved to create a place where artists, and subsequently their families and communities, could thrive. It was with that vision that Noah’s Ark International Exports was born—a fair trade handicraft marketing organization near the Moradabad artisan hub. He called it Noah’s Ark in reference to the biblical tale of a large ship which once gave shelter to mankind, just as he dreamed of giving shelter to the artisan community at large. Today, the Noah’s Ark group works with more than 40 independently operating workshops, translating to around 500 individual artisans who now have steady, fair income in safe workplaces. Noah’s Ark also provides free education for artisans’ children in a place where school fees can be high and not all children have the luxury of an education; they offer water filtration to artisan’s homes in a place where municipal water is frequently shut off for many hours of the day; and they provide access to medical and dental care. All this in addition to their commitment to fair trade and up-front financing for workshops.
