Threads of Yunnan

Threads of Yunnan was begun in 1999 as a project of Danyun, a Danish development organization. Threads of Yunnan seeks to improve the lives of rural ethnic minority women in Yunnan province by marketing their embroidery. Ten percent of the yearly gross goes back to the village where it is used for development work. An irrigation project built using this 10% allowed the farmers to plant in February rather than waiting for the rains of May, thus increasing their yields. Of the 120 women artisans involved in the project, many have doubled and some even tripled their family income as a result. Threads of Yunnan also trains the women in literacy, hygiene, and financial planning and has begun a night school in one of the villages.