Assisi Garments, India

Assisi Garments is one of the first groups that People Tree worked with. Set up by Franciscan nuns, it provides training and employment for deaf, mute and poor women.

Assisi provides a haven for these women to live in and a safe and supportive working environment. They are paid a fair wage and a lump sum paid after five years of employment to start a home and often their own tailoring business.

A close partnership with People Tree has enabled Assisi Garments to be the first company in the developing world to achieve the Soil Association mark for clothing produced in the developing world.

Reena came to Assisi three years ago from the orphanage in which she and her sisters had been raised after their parents abandoned them. She is now happily working in the tailoring section amongst those she considers family. She will work for Assisi for a few more years then her sisters will help her find a suitable partner.

Thanks to support and regular orders from People Tree, their initial staff has grown from 8 to 200. The quality of their work is extremely high and they are now able to produce high end pieces in collaboration with some of the world's best designers.