The seed of FHSL was sewn when it’s founder, Sandra, saw machine made imports flooding into rural Sri Lanka from nearby countries. This crushed the village based handloom industry, depleting the income of locally based weavers. Her determination was that she could preserve these ancient skills but more importantly maintain wealth and self reliance in the villages. In 1991 FHSL started its work with 15 women in Kurunegala in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka. Joined shortly by her brother FHSL now has over 700 employees and contractors throughout villages in the north and east of Sri Lanka, and maintains a central factory for finishing packing and selling. This negates the massive pressure on the regional poor to move to the city to "make their fortune". Via this contracting, wealth stays in the village and one less family moves to a city slum.

FHSL’s artisans can access interest-free loans of up to 5000 Sri Lankan Rupiah (about A$65). The average artisan struggles to meet the requirement for a bank loan, but through FHSL’s loans they can grow their business, add to their home or use the money for other purposes. FHSL staff also have opportunities to further their education through training workshops. Full-time staff are provided with informal medical insurance, which meets the needs of their immediate family if they fall ill.

One aspect of their work has been supporting the initiative for peace in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. Their motto that they carry into this work is:-

“ Women irrespective of caste creed religion or race have a common goal -

To make a better life for their families and for their children.”

In this spirit, FHSL went to the war torn Eastern Sri Lanka to run Dress Making Workshops. One participant said

“We learnt a lot in dress making and selling but most importantly we learnt that there is a better life beyond from where we live”

Apart from their business activities, FHSL initiates projects to empower artisans, to develop local communities and to conserve the environment. Their determination to respond to the social challenges they find has found them wining various awards, the most recent being the Presidents Award for Social Commitment.

FHSL have embarked on a housing project to build 1 house for the most needy woman/man in the organisation. The first of such houses have been completed and now they will move on to others.

90% of the employees/contractors of FHSL are women. This has come about quite naturally but is in step with the UN’s priority of educating and empowering women www.un.org/en/development/progareas/women.shtml is one of the keys to achieving the MDGs. www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

FHSL has recently gone through the arduous process of becoming WFOT (previously IFAT) accredited which is gives the assurance that they are abiding by fairtrade principles in their payment and treatment of their workers.

All of FHSL’s products are dyed using the ancient and natural Vat dyes and are always Azo free (a harmful chemical). They have a durability beyond many of their chemical based equivalents and as such benefit both the buyer and producer at one time!