Where Your Money Goes
We import different products from soapstone from a village in Kenya called Tabaka. The local people produce these products. The price was set on site after seeing how long it takes to make them and what it costs to make them. Then, we set the price of the products so that every craft worker would receive 3000 - 4000 CZK per month, so we could cover the transportation costs, allow for a small amount for the running of the organisation in the Czech Republic and the realisation of other developmental projects.
The above mentioned wage of a craft worker is about 3-5 times that of what he can usually make in that area. The price is set so that the craft workers can make a living and support their families, so that inflation does not rise because of above standard wages of a small group of the population and so that a middle man cannot profit from the work of these primary producers.
From the total amount that is paid out to all of the people and cooperators for their work in the village, 10% is given as extra to the common fund (a type of social fund). From this amount, a certain local project is realised at the end of the year, depending on the decision of the craft workers. This can be supply of drinking water, improvements of work conditions, education in health and prevention - depending on how much money is saved in the funds.
As part of the realisation of other developmental projects, the 'Open School' project and the 'Give An Opportunity' project, we donate money to increase the quality of education in several primary schools and we would like to give a chance to other people to make a living and support their families through their own work. For this to work, we have a Kenyan colleague who ensures this realisation and who is paid from the proceeds from the sales of the products.
