From 'red lists' disrupting our delivery to negotiating Brexit customs for our large proportion of customers on the European continent, 2021 didn't turn out to be much easier than the previous, but that's not to say we didn't achieve a great deal.
Despite the turbulent year, with lockdown and restrictions annihilating our production, in 2021, Mayamiko The Label generated employment at 3x the local minimum wage plus benefits (including holiday, sick pay, compassionate leave, pension) for 11 team members in Malawi, supporting 77 family members - that’s 22,880 hours of dignified work! With the average Malawian woman supporting 6-10 family members and significant research, in Malawi and further afield, showing that women's income is more often spent on education and health needs, this means a big impact for the wider community.
You, our customers, had a direct impact on the environment by planting 234 trees at checkout, donating 1200 fabric masks as part of the buy-one-give-one scheme and sponsoring 394 reusable sanitary pads. Our charitable sister organisation the Mayamiko Trust, supported by donations and the label, gave an additional 2500 masks and 500 sanitary kits to those in need, supported 12 new graduates from tailoring training at the Fashion Lab and 50 women through our new financial literacy and business training initiative. Already, we've seen a number of success stories of women setting up their own ventures in uncertain times. You can see more details on this at Mayamiko Trust.
And there's more! Increasing our partners in different countries, we've helped spread the work of Awamaki in Peru, who have supported 200 artisans and around 500 children, spending around 180 hours making knits for Mayamiko. The organisation also provided 3,423 baskets of emergency food relief during the pandemic to those who lost their income. Meanwhile, the popular YEWO have spent around 280 hours making their jewellery by hand for Mayamiko customers. With everyone hit hard by the pandemic, we're grateful that for most the time we've been able to keep selling and making items which support women and families in areas where opportunities are slim. And for that, we would lie to thank you for your continued support, we're wishing for many more great years to come. Happy (and healthy) New Year to you!
