The Kalka Story

The catalyst for the beginning of Kalka  was the arrival in England of a parcel of

wooden parrots made by patients in a rehabilitation centre in Bangladesh.

Selling the parrots to friends as a fundraiser for the centre made me think that here

was a way that other poor families could be helped and I decided to try to provide an

export market for low-income producer groups.

Living in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, for over two years allowed me to meet many

of the Bangladeshis who are now my suppliers. I was also able to build links with the

craft workers who have made this their living.

In a country faced with natural disasters and poverty, finding an export market can

truly change the fortunes of families who often have to support many others as well

as themselves. All of the Kalka products are hand-finished with the utmost care and

attention-to-detail which is indicative of the pride which the craftspeople take in

their work.

And what does ‘Kalka’ mean?

'Kalka' is the Bangladeshi  word for what we would call a paisley design, a motif in

Bangladesh which is usually associated with 'new beginnings'.