Their mission statement has been “to change lives of grass root artisans through education and capacity building so that they may stand on their own feet & become more aware of fair working conditions and environment in order to prove the value & beauty of their hand made products”.

Noah’s Ark was set up in response to the exploitation of poor artisans, by Samuel Masih in 1986, in one room in his house as an alternative way of trading with local crafts people around his hometown of Moradabad, northern India. From the beginning he was determined to ensure that artisans would be provided with the best rates of pay available and with the support to enable them to be freed from the grip of exploitation.

With Samuel’s resourcefulness the business has prospered: now there are more than 500 artisans are working for Noah’s Ark choosing Fair Trade employment to create better opportunities for their families and their communities.

And it is about more than just fair wages. Noah’s Ark provides education classes for 50 local children who do not have the opportunity to go to school in Moradabad. Each worker is given provision for school expenses, loans for house repairs and healthcare insurance. A social worker is also employed to support the wider needs of the employees and their families and communities.

Our ingenious recycled bike chain pen pot has been hand-crafted by Noah’s Ark artisans.

Below you’ll see products made by Fair Trade artisans and producers at Noah’s Ark. Click on the images to discover more about each product.