LOCAL HANDICRAFTS FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Up the Getik Valley from Lake Sevan is the village of Martuni, where where lots of initiatives focused on natural preservation are developing and growning. HDIF works with Genya, who uses 100% natural beeswax in making hand rolled candles. These are very popular for weddings and wedding showers or just for lighting up a home. The candles can be adorned with a locally spun sheeps wool thread and a bead made using clay from the ground. This is an example of utter respect for the local environment. Genya together with others in the village are spearheading these natural product intiatives.

The beehives produce not only honey, but also pollen droplets, which many buy for their health benefits, particularly for the respitory tract. Genya does no marketing of this, but has plenty of orders for this unique product.

And there is a wood carver just up the valley that makes finely crafted honey spoons from the annual trimmings of fruit trees in his garden - apricot, pear, peach and apple. Each has its own color, from very light (apricot) to highly grained (apple). 

HDIF is proud to have deep knowledge of all of these initiatives, having invested lots of hours in getting to know each so that we can say with confidence that Martuni Village is worth a visit, and the products they make are truly natural.

Please make a donation if you can, so that we can keep bringing wonderful intitiatives to the attentioin of a broader public, so that a sustainable business model can be created for the harding working people of Martuni as they focus on keep their village as natural as possible.

Contact us if you want to know more!

Thank you