A random small business based in Cambodia; these women look as though they are enjoying their work making slippers:

Penh Lenh empowering women with artisan jobs in ethical fashion industry
Roth Sochieata | Publication date 22 August 2021 | 20:13 ICT

Penh Lenh’s products are handcrafted by female artisans working to build new lives for themselves and their families. Photo supplied

The shiny hoop earrings worn by model Binx Walton recently on the cover of Vogue Italia are more than just a fashion statement.

Handcrafted by female artisans working to feed their families, the accessories at Penh Lenh were created to provide opportunity and economic empowerment for local women who play an important role in building sustainable communities.

Based in the capital, Penh Lenh was founded by Rachel Dodson in 2013. She left her fast-paced job as a modeling agent in New York City to pursue a career in empowering women through ethical fashion.

“Before Penh Lenh, I was in New York. I just wasn’t fulfilled when I was in that industry. It was kind of dark and vain. At the same time I was sort of feeling like I was called to do something totally different. And I want to take all the skills that I had in business and fashion to help people.

“Cambodia was one of the countries in need and a country where there are many vulnerable young women. I came over here for three weeks to meet some young women and research the need for a programme like Penh Lenh and I just fell in love here. I went back and I quit my job. My bags were packed for good and I moved here a couple months later,” Dodson tells The Post.

Once in Phnom Penh, Dodson met Srey Mao and the two immediately became friends. Srey Mao was born and raised in Kratie. She moved to Phnom Penh when she was 16 years old to study cosmetology.

Before joining forces with Dodson to create Penh Lenh, Srey Mao was co-owner of a salon. Srey Mao always had a passion for the beauty and the fashion industry so when she was presented with the opportunity to start Penh Lenh, she jumped at it.

With a shared passion for empowering women, ethical fashion and hard work, it was not long before both of them had Penh Lenh up and running.
More: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/lifestyle ... n-industry

xX.TROPA.Xx wrote: ↑Mon May 31, 2021 2:40 pm

Yes, those famously ethical diamond companies based in special economic zones.

Edit: well done to the girl though, worked hard and made something of herself

Empowering Women to Handcraft Eco-Friendly Products
By: Seng Mengheng
on April 3, 2023
~ 4 min read
Pheap Sothon has transformed her vision to create a business that empowers women while creating eco-friendly, locally-made products into reality

An enterprise called Hattha Neary has launched to empower women in Cambodia. Inspired by the experiences of the founder's mother and aunt, both of whom are rural and urban dwellers, the company aims to turn the creativity of women into something new and meaningful, while also contributing to the improvement of society.

Hattha Neary, which means women's hands, focuses on producing self-care products for the soul and natural healing. All of the components and ingredients used in the products are naturally purified with approved quality testing.

The company works closely with small-scale family farms to collect the season's best harvest, which is then hand-processed and wrapped with eco-friendly and handmade packaging in Cambodia.

The woman behind Hattha Neary is Pheap Sothon, who grew up in rural Banteay Meanchey province, experiencing the struggles of a single mother who did not have a sustainable job and had to migrate to find work to support her family.

Despite her efforts, she was unable to support her children's education and sometimes did not have enough money for food. Sothon's aunt, who worked as a nurse, served as a role model for an independent and strong woman.

Witnessing her mother's struggles as a single parent and her aunt's hard work as a nurse motivated her to work hard and become independent.

Sothon is the founder of Hattha Neary, committed to offering products of premium quality, chemical-free residues that are produced in an environmentally responsible way that contributes to the protection of the planet's resources. It also has a strong focus on empowering women and promoting sustainability,

"We believe in starting from within and building our enterprise with our own hands. Our customers find us on social media, building trust in our premium quality, natural and eco-friendly products," Sothon told Kiripost. “Hattha's target includes adults who appreciate the value of handmade, natural products that are free of chemicals and plastics.”

Sothon launched her startup with no capital and little preparation in 2019 by researching raw materials available in Cambodia. She discovered that tea was abundant and decided to create a product from scratch to reduce the need for imports, partnering with an eco-friendly shop selling natural products.

Hattha Neary, a project that started with nothing but a dream and a passion to make a difference. She added that creating a network gave her the potential to make the business grow. During Covid-19, he faced huge hurdles having to reduce staff, as she lost income, and made her shop contactless to make income to survive. However, this taught her that despite difficulties, nothing is impossible and if they are faced head on, they can be overcome.

After receiving a scholarship and graduating in Chemical Engineering, she realized that working in an office was not fulfilling and decided to step out of her comfort zone to pursue her passions using her knowledge to make a positive impact on rural communities through Hattha Neary.

The enterprise empowers housewives, widows, and women with disabilities by providing jobs producing natural products, such as creams, candles, tea, and accessories.
More : https://kiripost.com/stories/cambodia-e ... y-products


Illustrations taken from Hattha Neary Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/HatthaNeary

Upcycling Fashion
By: Meas Molika on March 31, 2023
~ 7 min read [excerpts]
Re-Made in Cambodia is aiming to reverse the environmentally-devastating fast fashion trend by encouraging young Cambodians to upcycle clothing, while providing a platform for local designers to shine

Re-Made in Cambodia (RMIC) is a youth empowerment project to promote sustainability in fashion in Cambodia. It initially started with two friends who shared a passion for upcycling and recycling old clothes and transforming them into something new to cut down the amount of clothing waste, which is one of the main causes of polluting the environment.

Re-Made in Cambodia today has 33 fashion designers, and 33 models and other organizations working on sustainability clothes.
In January 2023, 33 designers and eight different groups helped to collect clothes from the Zero Waste Center, where clothing from the riverside is collected. Zero Waste Center was created by River Ocean Cleanup non-profit organization and We Are Everwave Germany organization to collect a variety of waste, such as food packaging, children's toys, household waste and plastic film, that is washed before being taken to a local recycling company.

Around 150 to 200 kilograms of clothes from the riverside has been collected by 28 fashion design students from Limkokwing and Raffle universities and MaPa Fashion Design Academy. They are then recycled into new fashion styles to raise awareness about the impact of fast fashion on the environment and how to dress more sustainably.

“We want to show people that anyone can do it, from professional designers to students. Anyone can upcycle and can be part of this creative process. We want to show that no matter your styles you can be sustainable with your clothing choices,” Alyssa said.
https://kiripost.com/stories/cambodia-upcycling-fashion