Living Our Values

For over 30 years MarketPlace has been enabling women artisans to improve their lives not just in terms of economics, but also socially and psychologically. As the organization developed, certain principles evolved in how we all acted and treated one another. Recently the artisans went through a program to identify these values and articulate what they mean in their lives. The exercises included role-playing, art projects, and discussions. In the end, they came up with 25 different values which they thought were important. Further consideration reduced these to the 5 most significant. These are the guiding values that serve as a pattern for the artisans' lives both at work and at home.

1. Growth
2. Independence
3. Quality
4. Joy
5. Respect

These drawings have been created by two artisans, Deepika and Malti and depict the values using symbols and art. Below the artisans' words and images explain how these principles are key to their success and happiness.

Growth

"We have learned to walk our own paths, however winding and curved, as we have grown together."

Through our work with MarketPlace, we have learned a lot, experienced a lot, and grown more confident and competent. We support each other so that we can all fulfill our potential in both business and at home. We have achieved a better standard of living and look forward to more growth. We will continue our path of progress and will see it result in the development of our businesses and the success of the next generation.

Independence

"We have spread our wings to fly high in the sky, proud of our abilities and achievements."

Our hard work has earned us power. Not only can we support ourselves and our families, but we can also make important decisions. We can decide to provide a good education for our children and we can determine how to organize our production teams. At home, we decide how money is spent. Because we now know all about our rights and responsibilities, we can make a difference in our families and our work and our communities. Becoming leaders and role models, we are committed to progress.

Quality

"We value excellence in our products, the programs we design for ourselves and our communities, and in all our relationships."

We maintain high standards in how we work and what we produce. Our cooperative operations are based on principles of responsibility, dependability and respect for others. Our commitment is to produce high-quality items in a workspace that uses up-to-date methods and technology while respecting the artisans' abilities and contributions. Our focus on making the best products means we appreciate new ideas and methods. Quality Control inspections are taken very seriously because we want what we make to reflect our commitment to working well and with skill.

Joy

"The supportive and satisfying feeling of our workplace brings us joy in our work and all our relationships. "

We cherish our friendships at work, which can bring light-hearted enjoyment as well as important support. We know we can express ourselves freely here without fear or embarrassment. In this friendly environment, we can commit ourselves wholeheartedly to our work, our projects, and our relationships. There is great joy in achievements shared with people you care for and respect. Fulfilling our potential brings happiness like no other.

Respect

"We respect everyone because we are all unique and different and together we can do so much more. "

We all have differences, but we treat one another with respect and integrity and empathy. We have different strengths and weaknesses so we can celebrate an artisan's achievement at weekly meetings while also encouraging someone who is struggling. We all have something to offer. Everyone is allowed to express opinions and concerns and to make decisions without being judged in a personal way. We learn about and celebrate different religions and ways of life among us. We call each other by our names and are not expected to address anyone as "Sir" or "Madam" because we are all equal.