The bag, the makers, and the bargaining.

When I say a good sturdy well stitched Tote bag is 85/-, well off customers inform me that they can get it for 50/- elsewhere. They want me to bargain.

If it was only me I would drop the debate and seek mental peace away from mankind. But there are faces

behind the bags. Relationships. That I am answerable to.

And so I answer. Yet once again.

"These are the rates we have worked for the women. It gives them a good return to sustain their family through the month.

It does not pull them out if debts, and an illness still sends them spiralling downwards. They live on the edge.

To address the poverty in fundamental ways, we would need to price the bags higher.

But by the time we explain that price to the buyers it will be many fullmoons.

So we have priced these beautiful totes at 85/-.

I know well there are cheaper bags. Mass produced. But this is the story behind these bags.

And their Makers.

Roopa, Rani, Ramila, Nirmala, Annapurna, Lakshmikantha, Anitha, Buji, Kala"#PaalaGuttaPalleBags