Mali is the lynchpin of her large family. She uses her skills, determination, and knowledge of traditional silk weaving to provide stability for everyone at home. In a warm home filled with 13 family members, Mali is its beating heart, keeping everything running smoothly. Her life has been intertwined with silk cloth for more than three decades. However, to secure the financial stability, she has decided to take another step toward a brighter future, as she has successfully applied for a loan to use as working capital for purchasing essential raw materials, including quality silk threads, vibrant dyes, and, most importantly, a brand-new handloom, the key tool that will allow her to produce more products efficiently.
After receiving the loan in October 2022, Mali wasted no time and immediately invested in 50 metres of warp silk and began the production process with determination. Her daughter also serves as an important source of strength, and together, mother and daughter work diligently at the loom, managing to produce one piece of silk cloth per day. These beautiful 3-heddle bar silk cloths (the more heddle bars, the more intricate the silk pattern becomes) are purchased by buyers who come directly to their home, at prices starting from approx. £42 per item. With consistent effort, they once reached an impressive peak of 10 pieces in a single month.
What is particularly admirable about Mali's family is that everyone contributes their labour to earn income, which contributes to their shared livelihood. Beyond income from weaving, they also have rice fields that produce enough rice to feed all family members throughout the entire year, giving this family true food security.
Mali has made a promise filled with determination as she shares, "I will keep going until I have no strength left." These simple words reflect her love for her profession and her profound sense of responsibility to her family. She feels grateful to Lendwithcare and all the lenders for this loan opportunity and deeply hopes to receive continued support so that this cycle of life and production can continue sustainably.