Artisan ID #: BAM-BT-01
40 years old and a mother of six, Bonetong learned the art of weaving from her mother in their remote village in the northern part of Laos.
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Bonetong survives by subsistence rice farming with her husband, Subin, who also works as a construction-worker.
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Income from weaving pays for the family's monthly expenses, i.e. clean water, food, and utilities.
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She dreams of buying land and building a home one day where her entire family can live.
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Weaving from home gives Bonetong an opportunity to earn income while caring for her family and fulfilling her household duties
"Thank you for buying our products. It gives us a chance to improve our lives. Thank you very much."
A life as colorful as the scarves she weaves, Bonetong would have never guessed the path her life has taken.
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Originally from the northern part of the country, Bonetong learned to weave at age 10 from her mother.
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Bonetong's husband, Subin, moved the family 7 years ago when he was offered construction work near the capital city of Vientiane.
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Farming their small plot of land provided just enough food for their family, but left no one, besides her husband, available to work for actual income.
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Weaving from home allows Bonetong to earn money when she's not helping to plant or harvest rice in the fields.
Bonetong's dreams are closely intertwined with her family. In fact, she's unable to really dream for herself-all her wishes and dreams pertain to her six children.
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Bonetong dreams of being able to save money for enough land to build a home for her family.
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To have enough income so that her children do not have to worry about finances.
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To allow her children to finish school so they learn new skills and improve their lives.
Bonetong's freedom to weave designs from home provides her with the time and flexibility to earn income in between spending time with her children, working in the fields planting and harvesting rice, and tending to the home.
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Aside from the financial independence weaving provides, Bonetong has also learned basic business skills and new weaving techniques that she would like to use to create new designs.