WOMEN AT NORLHA
“A gap is forming on the Tibetan Plateau between the old life that is losing its meaning and a new one that is not yet defined... In 2004, Kim Yeshi sent her daughter Dechen to the Plateau on an exploratory mission to learn about how Tibetans in Tibet lived and to explore the possibilities behind yak wool. Dechen visited many areas in Amdo and, for two months, saw China from a very different perspective, quite unlike what she had experienced as a student in Beijing. She learned about the realities of modern China. She stayed with nomad families and heard their concerns about how life was changing, wondering what a nomad’s life would be like in twenty years and whether or not they should send their children to school. She saw them worry about the fluctuating prices of meat and wool and the increasing difficulties of finding brides for their nomad sons. She saw how education had changed perspectives of women’s lives, and how unattractive the prospect of a nomad marriage had become for them. For two months, she collected stories, took photographs, filmed, and looked into the possibilities of doing something with yak wool." Edited excerpt from Kim Yeshi’s book
Until 2007, all the women who lived in Ritoma were nomads. The majority of women employed at Norlha started out as nomads, either helping out in their own family or marrying into another. We have witnessed local women take charge of their lives, giving a chance to those who cannot rely on their immediate families for support.
We are grateful for all the women working and supporting Norlha. Today we want to acknowledge and celebrate Kim Yeshi and her daughter Dechen, founders of Norlha. We are proud that 66% of our employees are women and we extend our gratitude to the women artisans and the women working in our international team.
' our work should equip
the next generation of women
to outdo us in every field
this is the legacy we'll leave behind '
progress - rupi kaur 