The Lao program

Dien Bien Phu - Vietnam

Context and local partner

In rural areas of northern Vietnam, job opportunities are scarce, often forcing young people to migrate to the cities. In Dien Bien Phu, a cooperative of women weavers fromthe Lao ethnic groupoffers a sustainable alternative: creating value locally, preserving ancestral know-how, and offering a decent income to those who want to stay in their village.

Recreate an autonomous and local cotton industry

Long abandoned, cotton cultivation is being revived within the cooperative. Women are reviving this traditional practice to control the entire production chain—from seed to fabric. By growing their own cotton, they ensure a raw material.local, natural and without chemical inputs, while strengthening their economic and environmental autonomy.

Specificities

Rare and respected know-how

100% handmade craftsmanship:
Women hand-weave unique fabrics from locally grown, hand-spun cotton,tinted with natural plants (leaves, bark, flowers)).

Fair and concerted remuneration:
Each order is evaluated withthe weaversin working time and local wages, with attention paid to their comfort and dignity.

The stakes

Preserving a craft in danger in the face of urbanization and standardization, traditional weaving is threatened with extinction.
Promote rural employment by allowing women to stay in the village while generating a decent income.
Strengthen the recognition of female expertise in societies where the value of women's work is still underestimated.
Supporting autonomy and local pride by supporting projects led by women themselves, such as the revival of cotton cultivation.

Our areas of development

Capacity building: training on cooperative management, textile design and ecological practices.
Expanding the network of weavers: the cooperative has grown from 9 to 22 women; we hope to continue opening it to other villages.
Support for local and international marketing: by developing ethical sales channels, online and in partner stores.
Reuse and upcycling: fabric scraps are assembled into pouches in Paris by an ESAT, thus creating a bridge of solidarity between artisans and workers with disabilities.