Four elegant paisleys adorn the Christmas tree on lengths of golden zari thread. This set of wonderful ornaments is crafted of ceramic and painted by hand in colors of gold and red to accentuate intricate designs. Bangladesh's Bertha Giti Baroi presents the ornaments, which arrive in a box made of recycled cardboard.Bertha Giti Baroi is the director of a Bangladeshi fair trade organization that works for the welfare of the rural women artisans. The organization was established in 1971 after the War of Independence to help war widows, victims and marginalized rural women who had become dependent on relief and sympathy, she says. Our organization formed a cooperative handicraft project exclusively for women. We have been creating and exporting handicrafts around the world since 1973.
