Getting ready to meet with Tirhta

Nepali shoomakers have their shop in the middle of the street.

I'm currenly sitting in a café to get some lunch and to upload pictures to Picasa/this blogg and to upload some videos to YouTube.

I will try go get the videos into the blog, we'll see if I make it.
If it works, this is what my room looks like:

Nothing seemed to work for me last night, but now things are looking better. I am glad I'm usually don't have a problem with sounds when I sleep, because the sound level in my room is, well, loud. I have a YouTube video to show it.

In halv an hour I'm meeting with Tirhta, I'm looking forwad to seeing him again.

Sebastian Stjern

THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet

We are hiring! Please let people know

We are planning to hire a quality controller in Kathmandu, Nepal and an ad will be posted in some local newspapers.

Please forward this ad to anyone you know who might know someone who might know someone in Nepal. Use Twitter, Facecbook, your blog, Reddit, Linkedin and any other way you can find to promote this.

Wanted a Quality Controller (QC) for textiles product based company

About The Company
The Fair Tailor is a company located in Gothenburg in Sweden. We sell Fair Trade and organic tailor made shirts and other textiles such as towels and pillowcases. We work together with the organisation Child Watabaran in Nepal, which gives all profit from its production house to social projects. Child Watabaran runs a school for street children, a child home and medical services for street children. We are convinced that it's possible to combine a successful business enterprise with social responsibility.

About the work
We are looking for someone who can work for us at the production house of Child Watabaran. You will be the link between The Fair Tailor and Child Watabaran. You will be in charge of quality inspections and you make sure that everything is up to our quality standard. You will also help us keep track on stock levels and shipping statuses.

Desired Qualities of Quality Controller
Honesty is an absolute requirement for us and besides, you have:

· At least 5 years of experience working as Quality Controller in exclusive tailoring and export based garment and a knowledge and understanding of the quality expected by our European customers.

· Knowledge of quality related to fabric types, accessories, production process and process of quality check

· Excellent command of both written and spoken English and Nepali.
Computer proficiency in several Windows-based applications, such as Word Processing, Internet browser as well as experience of using a digital camera.Excellent knowledge of using internet and computer savvy people gets priority.

· The ability to work independently and as part of a team and that you can perform under pressure.

Women and candidates from underprivileged castes and ethnic groups are highly encouraged to apply. Interested candidates are solicited to send their complete application with CV, two referees and a recent passport size photograph.

Only short-listed candidates will be called for interview.

Apply before August 29 2009 with CV, name and address of two referees, recent photo and expected salary.
Send your application to info@thefairtailor.com and tirtha@watabaran.com

Sebastian Stjern
THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet

Fair Trade in Nepal

Today is an official strike day here in Nepal. It is kind of their labour day so there is for example hardly any public transportation or taxis. Some of the persons working at Watabaran had not been able to get to work today because of the strike.

Today I started of by going to Patan, just south of Kathmandu. First I met with the Fair Trade Group Nepal and they told me a little about fair trade here in general, but unfortunately they didn't have as much information that I had hoped.
After having met them I went to two nearby Fair Trade shops. It was interesting to see everything that had been produced under fair conditions, and also to compare the price tags there with the price tags in the tourist district. All the shops in the tourist district claim to be fair, ecological and so on but that is simply not true. So the price is of course much higher in the Fair Trade shops...

After the visits in Patan I went to the Watabaran production facilities and met with Tirtha and the production supervisor. They gave me an estimate on the cost to produce shirts here in Nepal and we discussed what we can do. It seems impossible to get a hold of organic cotton fabrics here in Nepal, bu we have still not given up on finding some.
Tomorrow we are going together to a fabric dealer here in Kathmandu, we'll see how that goes.

A slow day in Kathmandu

Today has been a rather slow day here in Kathmandu. The pollutions combined with a cold I've caught makes me feel a bit ill.

I spoke to Tirtha earlier and he is working on setting up meetings with fabric supplier. It seems difficult to find organically grown cotton fabrics here in Nepal, but he's working on it.

I have set up a meeting for tomorrow with Fair Trade Group Nepal to learn more about how Fair Trade is done here. On Tuesday I'm meeting with WebSearch, the internet company Bjorn Soderberg has started here in Nepal.