When I first saw these stunning baskets woven from discarded plastic food and candy wrappers by villagers in remote mountain villages in Nepal, I was struck by their cheerful and vibrant beauty - each a symbolic celebration of the environment, a sincere homage to the earth. I was told that 500 families today are engaged in creating these baskets in the villages of Lapa, Tipling and Shertung, enabling them to create a life of dignity whilst they rebuild their lives, in many ways shattered by the longstanding civil war in Nepal - a war which has recently ended through the signing of a peace treaty earlier this year.

The story of the Nepali Basket of Kindness is also the story of a remarkable woman,Mariachi, the founder of a non profit humanitarian organization called Spiral Foundation - an acronym for Spinning Potential Into Resource and Love. Through her vision, the Foundation today works in both Nepal and Vietnam with a special focus on offering medical and educational support to the villagers. Since it launched in 2003, the Foundation has offered tremendous support to these impoverished, remote communities, listing the following as some of its highlights: planted 10,000 cardamon seeds in Nepal; designed many handcraft workshops; offered 7 scholarships in the village of tipling; paid salaries for 10 teachers , constructed a library, and purchased an anesthsia machine. Much of this has been accomplished through the sales of handcrafts from these artisan communities.

As Mariachi suggests, "giving is not a privilege that belongs to a few of us that have, it is a right that belongs to all".

In collaborating with Spiral Foundation, we are planning to work closely with the artisans in both Nepal and Vietnam - celebrating their talents and skills as valued members of the global community and reminding them that they are not forgotten!