Fair Trade At Nina Designs

FAIR TRADE

Nina Designs has been practicing fair trade since long before there was a term for it. Why aren't we certified? In our experience, most Fair Trade organizations are set up to monitor worker collectives and don't have a way to accommodate private companies with a strong interest in the social welfare of their employees. In additional, these organizations have steep annual fees. We believe the funds are better spent on benefits for our staff in Bali than on administrative fees to an American organization.

OUR COMMITMENT

Our production facility in Indonesia focuses intensely on the development of human capital. All managers are promoted from within the company. Staff with potential are identified at an early stage and offered opportunities to learn new skills and take on more responsibilities. For example, the current IT officer was initially hired in the maintenance department but was quickly transferred when he showed aptitude and enthusiasm in computer skills. Likewise, a talented young silversmith rose to become production planning manager for the whole company. The director of design development joined the company nine years ago as an intern straight out of school.

We have an absolute commitment to equal rights for women. Fifty percent of managers at our production facility are women, a figure that is even more impressive in Indonesia than it would be in America. There is zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the work place. (Harassment can be a particularly difficult problem for divorced and widowed women in Balinese culture).

On average, our silversmiths in Bali earn double the government minimum wage. The highest performers make triple the wage of a school teacher and double the salary of a graduating doctor. All employees receive an extra months wage as an end of year bonus. In addition, workers receive a food allowance for lunches. The company provides health care, with a doctor on call for staff medical needs. Through Bumi Sehat, expectant mothers receive education about prenatal care and safe deliveries. Mothers receive three months paid maternity leave or six months on half pay. Their hospital fees are also covered.

Other benefits include life insurance and pension fund contributions. Employees have a total of 25 paid days off for vacation and religious holidays. (There are Hindu, Muslim and Christian employees, with each taking different holidays according to their traditions). Additional unpaid leave is granted if needed. The standard workweek is 40 hours.

COMMUNITY

Our production facility is committed to the community. Material and financial support is provided to many organizations including:

Bumi Sehat (Healthy Birth)
This non-profit maternity clinic offers safe, natural child birthing and breast feeding support in Bali and for Tsunami victims in Aceh.

Yayasan Seng Hati (Happy Heart Foundation)
This non-profit foundation is operated by people with disabilities. It provides vocational training, communal living and arts programs.

Yayasan Senyum (Smile Foundation)
This non-profit foundation organizes cranio-facial surgery for children and adults from Bali and Lombok. They repair cleft palettes and other deformities.

Nina Designs and our generous customers also contributed to both the Bali bombing and Tsunami relief through the Idep Foundation.

Nina Designs provides additional support for:

Half the Sky Foundation
Half The Sky Foundation operates infant nurture centers, preschools, foster care and individual educational projects inside government orphanages in China. They have 30 centers operating in 11 provinces. Their early enrichment and educational programs are critical for proper childhood development. Without these programs, babies and toddlers have little or no stimulation. They are often developmentally delayed, which leads them to be labeled as retarded and denied a normal education.

Heifer International
Heifer helps children and families around the world receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant.