What does it mean to do good and feel good? 

At MamaP, we want to provide you with simple and easy ways to not only stay healthy and feel good but also to do good in this world. That’s why Mamap has partnered with Anuna Education to make our brush bags. Anuna is based in India and is a social impact venture whose mission is to empower womxn. 

 

Anuna’s goal is to provide skill development to train artisans on entrepreneurship and eCommerce. From a traditional, brick and mortar store front, these people are brought into the digital economy to reach a wider consumer based around the world. Participants must go through 320 hours of course work to obtain certification. Skills developed include:

• Form and register companies
• Supply chain and logistics
• E-Commerce and digital marketing
• Photography
• Cataloging

 

Not only do these artisan womxn receive training, they also are provided micro-credit loans to help start up their new e-commerce businesses. Moreover, Anuna will guide or “hand-hold” these businesses for a year to ensure they are successful.

So far, Anuna has have helped 17,000 artisans, most of whom are womxn, across 150 clusters spread across 12 states in India. Making a massive positive impact for marginalized segments of society! When you invest in the welfare of womxn it has halo effects in raising the well-being of families and whole communities. 

 

You get to empower these womxn by purchasing their handmade brush bags. They are made of cotton, washable, and when they’ve reached the end of their lives as bags, you can compost. This is what it means to be part of the circular economy or regenerative economy! Let’s reduce the amount of waste we put into the earth, instead let’s reintroduce and upcycle our things to enrich and reuse. 

 

These bags are all hand made using traditional Jaipur hand-stamped block printing techniques. The ink dyes come from natural plant based sources. They come in multiple styles that match each of our biodegradable bamboo brush handles. Great for different uses including:

• Traveling with your bamboo brushes
• Zero-waste gift-wrapping for holidays and birthdays
• Storing your make-up brushes in a natural bag

Do good. Feel good. And keep those smiles bright. We stand by womxn because making a difference in this world is important for you and at MamaP. Support the artisans at Anuna by purchasing the duets paired with each of our causes including three kids bamboo toothbrush styles. And don’t forget, 5% goes back to each causes.

To learn more about Anuna Education visit their website here.

Shop our duet brush and bag sets

 

We caught up with Amit Srivastava, CEO & Founder of Anuna Education Network to hear how the Anuna story and what's next.

Interested in learning more about Anuna Education and how it started, keep reading!

 

Why Did You Start Anuna Education and what was the process you had to go through?

In 2012, I moved to India from Los Angeles to start Anuna and do exemplary work in the area of Skill Development/Vocational Training, which was severely lacking in India. I have over 20 years of sourcing background in home decor, furnishings & gifting industry in the USA, and was aware of the challenges handicraft artisans had. They were paid meagre wages and exploited by middlemen.

 

 

The idea was to use skill development to train artisans on eCommerce entrepreneurship and connect them directly with the digital economy. In 2017, we pitched the idea to the Government of India and were able to partner with the Retail Sector Skill Council (RASCI) to develop a specific coursework of 320 hours that covered the basics of entrepreneurship, photography, cataloging, and online selling.

We then partnered with organizations like Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), Amazon, Flipkart, eBay & Shopclues, and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to implement this as a combination of training & long-term handholding as a Special Project under the Skill India Mission.

 

 

Under this Special Project, we identify previously existing handicraft & handloom clusters, mobilize their artisans in batches of 30 each, then group them in groups of 10. We then help them register their company, photograph & catalog their products, and set up logistics. We help them on-board to various e-marketplaces, including our own beta website anuna.com. By helping them set up their business and marketplace, it allows artisans to sell their goods to a global audience. 

 

How long has Anuna been operating for?

We formed Anuna in 2012 but did not start implementing the project until 2018.

 

Any interesting statistics on the number of artisans Anuna has helped? 

So far, we have helped over 17,000 artisans, most of whom are women. This is across 150 clusters spread across 12 states in India.

 

 

We know Anuna has been recognized in India, any awards or recognition you’re proud of?

Yes, I have been personally given the UP NRI Ratna Award by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh and Anuna has received the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Award by India Education Network for the project

 

 

 

Can you tell us about the artisans that are accepted into the Anuna program?

These artisans have been working as daily wagers and depended on middlemen and used to working in the cash economy. We help them form their company, get necessary registration & compliances like GST, photograph & catalog their products, setup logistics and help them launch their products on e-marketplaces. We also provide up to a year of hand-holding as well as help them connect with micro-credit for working capital.

What’s the best part of running Anuna?

Making a difference in the lives of women artisans by increasing their livelihood and connecting them with the digital economy, and in the process furthering the cause of traditional hand-made crafts.

 

 

If someone wants to get involved to help, how can they help?

They can reach out join@anuna.in. We are actively seeking social impact funds to invest in the up-skilling of artisans, as well as, buyers who are looking to source hand-made items in bulk. We are also developing anuna.com as the alibaba of India focused on hand-made & natural items where global buyers can buy in retail, wholesale or even place custom orders with confidence. 

 

Anything new and exciting happening in 2021?

Planning on launching anuna.com in early 2021 that is a marketplace for artisans to sell on. The website is currently being beta tested.