CAMACrafts is a non-profit, self-help project which markets handicrafts made by Lao artisans. We strive to provide a sustainable method of income for village women that would otherwise be unavailable.

Our products are entirely handmade using traditional patterns and techniques, which helps preserve the traditional needlework skills of Hmong and Lao women such as appliqué, cross stitch, embroidery and batik. This work provides employment for more than 250 women, an estimated 70% of whom are the only cash earners for their families.

Money earned from the handicrafts is largely used to send their children to school, and to provide food and medicine for their family.

For centuries, the Pouthai women of Savannakhet Province in southern Laos have woven fabrics using natural dyes and fibers from their surrounding environment. Phouthai people, who live along the Xepon River, are now famous for the quality of their hand woven, organically-grown, indigo-colored cotton fabric.

Through the work of the Lahasinh Company, these beautiful textiles are now being marketed to the world under the Laha label.

Laha's mission is to support sustainable development, poverty eradication and the preservation of traditional culture in Laos through the production of fabrics from locally available materials.

A wide of variety of products that include clothing, accessories and furnishings are made for Laha from uniquely dyed and woven textiles. Laha products portray the wonderful designs and patterns created by large village looms.

Mulberries is a not-for-profit company that seeks to create income generating opportunities for Lao peoplein a socially and environmentally responsible way.  Our company, in partnership with over 200 village families, specializes in the production of naturally-dyed, handmade Lao silk.

We foster traditional silkworm rearing, reeling, weaving, and natural dyeing in villages, while providing training, tools and a market for sale and distribution.

We actively promote social and environmental awareness in the villages where we work by encouraging sustainable alternatives to opium production and harmful "slash-and-burn" agricultural practices.

We also stress to villagers the importance of traditional natural dyes, which are more environmentally friendly than the widely used chemical alternatives.

Established in 1984 by the Lao Government and the United Nations Development Program to help women to capitalize on their traditional weaving skills, our goal is create job opportunities for Lao women and improve their well being.

Since 1996, we have operated as an independent business, organizing ten women's weaving groups providing 200 looms throughout Laos. We support all stages of the cotton handicraft development process, from the purchase of raw cotton from Lao farmers through to spinning, dyeing, weaving and the sale of finished products.

Our crafts include cotton fabric, clothing, interior furnishings, hand bags and other handicrafts.

Lao Magic Carpet Handicrafts combines the traditional weaving skills of Lao women with the carpet weaving techniques of the Middle East and South Asia. Our carpets and kilims are created according to the highest standards of carpet weaving while incorporating authentic, original patterns inspired by traditional Lao textiles. We use mostly natural dyes, produced in Laos from local plants and insects.

Our vision is to establish a large-scale, village-based, handmade silk carpet industry in Laos. To achieve this, we have set up a training centre where weavers are taught how to design and weave carpets. When the skills are mastered, carpet making can become a good source of income for weavers and their families.

In the past three years, we have trained more than 100 experienced weavers in the art of carpet making, and more than 45 of these are now employed full time by us. Working closely with the Lao Women's Union and other organizations, we target women from the neediest families and in the most underdeveloped areas. Our weavers are provided with free lodging, food, medical care and an above-average monthly salary.

We also plan to train many more women across Laos who can work in their own homes, using the materials and tools we supply, and with our help to market the carpets. We hope more people in these weavers' villages will be drawn to carpet weaving and other aspects of production, to develop a sustainable cottage industry.

Les Artisans Lao provides apprenticeships in the production of original handicrafts made from recycled wood or non-timber forest products such as coconut, bamboo etc. Our goals are to promote contemporary handicraft design using materials and technologies appropriate for the local context, and to promote recycling and use of renewable materials.

Established in 2004, our project offers on-the-job training and employment opportunities for disadvantaged, uneducated and often marginalized people, with a particular focus on women. Through all our activities, we hope to create sustainable employment opportunities for marginalized young Laotians, help them re-integrate into society and alleviate poverty.

Trainees are paid while completing an initial six-month training course. At the end of their apprenticeship, trainees are typically hired by our center, or return to their home villages to work with equipment we provide. In both cases, trainees will be able to earn a living by selling their crafts through the retail outlets of Les Artisans Lao.

We reinvest the profits made from retail sales to buy materials, equipment, and pay staff and operational costs. Donations also help to keep our operations running.

The Ekkalak Lao Gallery in Vientiane markets the work of several associations of Lao artisans, promoting local handicrafts from over 30 different producers, mostly members of the Lao Handicrafts Association.

The gallery was initially started as part of the Phonsaat Project, (Lao Women's Empowerment through the Handicraft Textile Industry) and from here has grown into an independent business.

Through targeting women weavers, and especially those in isolated rural areas, Ekkalak Lao improves access to resources as well as information on domestic and international markets.

Canadian Sandra Yuck founded Caruso Lao in 1997 after a successful career in fashion design and development spanning more than three decades in Montreal, New York, Europe and Hong Kong.

Encouraging and nurturing the skills of some of the most talented artisans in Laos to the highest level of design and craftsmanship, she applies her own unique design flair and contemporary sensibility to the tradional forms and techniques of Lao crafts.