“My hopes are that in the future, if I can just get support from buyers who order the silk, I will be happy.”
Rin keeps the spinning loom going at a steady pace, expertly adjusting the thread, her blue and gold patterned skirt gathered under her stool, and looks around contentedly. There are the mulberry plots and cocoons in storage. It looks different from when her grandparents started.
“There are many points that have changed in my family – firewood, transport, farming equipment and my own tools.”
Under the raised wooden house, shaded from the heat of the day, weaving is bringing in US$2,000 a year and helping grow the family farm. Now it's Rin's dream to get help with new designs and techniques that will lead to bigger returns.
“My hopes are that in the future, if I can just get support from buyers who order the silk, I will be happy.”
The EIF has seized this opportunity, supporting 1,500 weavers and backing 14 exporters in up to five markets. The EIF high‑value silk project is serving the broader aim of empowering girls and women with cutting‑edge skills in silk production. One of the targets is to increase the silk weavers' income by 200%, which will deliver significant development benefits for the poor women like Rin in rural areas.
Header photo of Mercy Chewetu Mukupa's designs - ©Mercy Chewetu Mukupa
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