September 2008 – RugMark UK has announced the winners of its ethical rug design competition. This is the first year for the competition, which aims to raise awareness about the ethics of rug manufacturing amongst design students and interior designers.
The competition was open to students registered at universities in the UK and Ireland, and was won by Ruchi Goyal, an MA student at Nottingham Trent University. Her prize was a trip to Kathmandu to see her rug being hand knotted by skilled artisans.
"The best thing about my trip to Kathmandu was when I entered the workshop and saw my rug on the loom" says Ruchi aged 27 "The most important and wonderful thing that RugMark does is to take children out of the rug factories and give them the safe and healthy environment that a child needs. It helps them with their schooling and development when their families can't afford it."
Samantha Towle, Director of RugMark UK was delighted with the high quality of designs submitted, but said that "the challenge for RugMark is to make sure that all rugs imported to the UK from South Asia carry the RugMark label."
The second prize was won by Samantha Doe of Colchester College, and both rugs were on display at 100% Design Show in London from 18-21 September.
During her visit, Ruchi also visited the rehabilitation centre run by RugMark Nepal, where former child weavers are cared for and receive an education. Many of the rescued children have completed vocational training to become carpenters and motorbike mechanics, or have gone on to high school – aiming to become teachers themselves.
"This contest and trip has provided me with a great insight into the rug making industry, and has given me exposure not only on the professional front but also on the humane level." Said Ruchi.
Financial assistance for this competition was received from the European Union and MRDF.
ENDS.
For further information please contact Samantha Towle on 00 44 7740 459279
Email info@rugmark.org.uk
Notes to editors:
RugMark was created in India in 1994, following a consumer boycott of hand-made rugs when child labour was exposed as a problem in the industry. The drop in demand for rugs led to increased poverty for many weaving families. The RugMark initiative was created to provide independent ethical accreditation to reassure consumers, and provide better conditions for workers in the industry. Since then over 5.5 million RugMark labeled rugs have been exported to Europe and the USA, and RugMark has helped to improve the lives of many thousands of people in the rug making industry through its education and welfare programmes. RugMark is the only initiative which carries out independent inspections of rug manufacturing sites.
Examples of childrens stories can be found on www.rugmark.org.uk/about-rugmark/day-in-the-life.shtml
"When I was just 10 years old, my stepmother sent me to work with an aunt in the carpet factory. It was dark and dirty and I had to wake at 5am every morning and start weaving rugs with no tea or breakfast. I didn't have enough clothes to wear, I was always hungry, and I missed my mother badly." Former child weaver, Chameli, 12, now lives in the RugMark rehabilitiation centre, Kathamandu, Nepal. She says "Education is so important to me, because now I can train to be a teacher. If Rugmark was not in Nepal, many children like me would be deprived of love, care and education."
High resolution images of the winning designs, RugMark logo, and Ruchi's visit to Nepal are also available.
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