Journey has just begun ...

New York - 2007, I placed an online order of a handmade necklace through a California based company.  On the product description page, it mentioned “made by artisan from South East Asia”.  Being a nifty online shopper myself, anticipations were high.   Without second thought, I was expecting my merchandise in less than a week time, if not few days! I was habituated to those giant online stores’ deals and next day shipping.  However, this order was different - I did not receive it in a week or even 2 weeks.  I was tempted to cancel the order – but I stayed.  Finally, after 3 weeks, the package was delivered – opened it – and WOW!  The necklace worth every penny and delays. It exceeded all my expectations. It was stunning – delicately handmade with exquisite design. Then, I wanted to know more about the product, including who and how. Now when I think back, I can clearly see why I wanted to hear that untold story of that artist who made it. I simply wanted to be a part of his/her story as I own the art for rest of my life.

Eight years down the road, I now work with similar artists and producers in Nepal. I hear such untold stories all the times.  I feel privileged yet humble sitting next to them, listening to their stories.  There are many such stories from Nepal and Kolpa takes pride in sharing them with you.

Kolpa for past three years explored craftsperson and artisans especially women and physically challenged people with exceptional skills, commitments and passion but from humble backgrounds.  Those determined men and women produced excellent product, yet struggle to find a marketplace.  Traditional and indigenous products are offered marginalized domestic market with low bargains.  And their stories? Unnoticed. Unheard. And lost within rugged terrains from where they originated.   Nonetheless, those unsung heroes work every day – preserving skills, producing one product at a time in the traditional ways and in their own spaces.  Quality of such product is time-tested, lasting generations – no doubt!  Yet they face market crisis.  They constantly look for a fair bazaar – a marketplace where their products are avidly bought and their efforts are cherished. 

This is a generic story of a craftsperson from Nepal and Kolpa brings them out.  Kolpa believes in the global marketplace – a place where customers love to know about the untold stories of the product; a marketplace- where customer would choose only the best quality product. Our focus is to bring out the best from those skillful hands by building their confidence and letting them focus on quality work instead of place to sell.  We equally take pride in sharing not only their products but their stories while we also share the profit fairly with them.  Kolpa wants to amplify those unheard voices – for conscious customers, a generation for sustainable lifestyle.

Kolpa has one mission – to make both, producers and customers happy.  It is our pleasure to offer free shipping worldwide for the order above $ 40 CAD through our online portal - kolpaworld.com. Our journey has just begun. Kolpa strives to improve the quality of its products, add diversity and selections, and constantly upgrading our services to valued customers. 

Written by: Rabi C Malla