
HOMENET LAO
HNL consists of 13 groups of Home-based workers (HBWs), 948 members of which 754 are female. HNL members reside in Vientiane capital and Luang Prabang province. There are groups of textile handweavers, bamboo basket artisans, tailors, and sewers. Most HBWs make the products and sell them to the local market on their own.
The products made by the HNL members are of various types:
- Products from textile handweavers are for example, Sinh (Lao traditional skirt), textiles for making clothes, Phabieng and Phatoum (shoulder clothes), scarfs, hand napkins, and floormat.
- Products from tailors and sewers include tote bags, polo shirts, lady handbag made by textiles.
- Products from the group of artisans are mainly rice boxes, trays, rice steamers and baskets that are made of bamboo, and rattan lady handbags
It’s believed that the promotion of handmade products via online channels is a good marketing idea. By assisting the HNL members to promote their products via said channels can provide them with more income from sales so that they can finance their daily expenditures such as rice, food, water supply, electricity, and children’s education. With an increasing income, these HWBs may consider contributing into Social Security Fund for insuring themselves and receiving benefits such as health care benefits, maternity benefits, pension, supports in case of accidents, sickness, and deaths. This activity will also be helpful for improving the HBWs’ living conditions especially for those were heavily impacted during Covid-19 crisis.