ABOUT US

Our Ethical Statement

We are an independent family-run business and since 2000 we have worked in partnership with an entrepreneur in Vietnam who runs her own family business. This enterprising and resourceful woman has her own team of talented, largely female lead technicians. We visit our supplier regularly, twice a year but were unable to visit during the pandemic. We are in constant daily touch with our partner in Vietnam to ensure we are living up to our ethical statement and are confident that:

• No young children work in the manufacture of our products.

• We pay a full and fair price for our products agreed in discussion with our Vietnamese partner. Who, in turn, ensures a fair wage and good working conditions for their workers. We have purposefully avoided the ‘designer’ image and price tag for our products. We have always tried to balance a sustainable income for our workers with an affordably priced product for the retailer;

• Our bags and purses are hand-made mainly by women, working in small villages either in small, clean, brightly lit and well ventilated, safe workshops or at home so that they can work according to their own and their families’ needs.  Many workers come from rural rice farming communities where poverty is widespread. Working with Lua enables them to combine their farming obligations with a valuable additional source of income.  The work is flexible so they are able to learn new tailoring skills and continue with their education if required.  Training is provided on the job in the workshop for the first two years to develop skills and experience.  Higher rates are paid to the women who progress to more skilled work such as pattern cutting and embroidery. The workers are paid sick leave and health insurance is provided for older workers.  Bonuses are paid after each season and, in summer, a holiday to the beach is organised by our main partner for all the workers and their families. The regular work provided enables women from disadvantaged backgrounds to improve their families’ living conditions and to send their children to higher education.

• The workshops are fully compliant with local regulations – working conditions, health and safety practices, salary levels/insurance, etc – and are inspected regularly at local level.

• The workers who make our products are happy with their work and pay and consequently more than 30 women at the core of the team have been making our products for more than 19 years!

Please note our printed scarves are sourced from China and are not handmade. Although we have not visited directly, we have been assured by our trading partner that they are ethically manufactured in factories there.

Charities We Support

We are proud to support Rewilding Britain and The Kianh Foundation. For more info Click Here

We try to reduce waste by:

• Donating large quantities of surplus fabrics to people in poorer areas in the mountains of North Vietnam and in collaboration with Buddhist monks in the areas of Yen Bai province and Son La. More than 500m of fabric was taken by our technicians and distributed as blankets during 2020/2021.

If you have any suggestions on ways we can improve our ethical statement and deliver products, please do get in touch – info@luagifts.co.uk