Twelve years ago, a workshop opened in Sanepa for jewellers no one else would train.
Sano Paila started Kaasya in 2014 as a training workshop for young people who had been trafficked, abused, or who were deaf and mute. Today, those trainees are jewellers — and shareholders.
A trade that gives back independence, dignity and a way forward.
Jewellery-making was first started by Sano Paila in 2013 as a form of therapy for traumatised and abused young people. By 2014 we'd built a proper training workshop, the Himalayan Jewellery Workshop, with the idea that a craft could become a livelihood.
Many of the first trainees had been sold into trafficking at a young age. A number of them had run away from home and voluntarily entered slavery because, as children in poverty-stricken households, options were limited.
Sano Paila is creating social ventures like Kaasya for clients who want to shop responsibly. Every piece signifies the hope and resilience of its crafter.
Shop the work →The team.
Mina
Eleven years at the bench. Mosaics, soldering, the calming hand on the team.
Bhima
Loves cutting shapes from brass and bronze sheet. Known for practical jokes in the studio.
Samjhana
One of our most skilled. Always learning new techniques from visiting jewellers.
Sharmila
Manages our inventory, interprets sign for the team, and keeps the studio running.