Kaiko acts as a forerunner in the field of social responsibility. We create work and livelihood in developing Nepal through our own production and we make sure that all those who manufacture Kaiko's products are paid a living wage.
We redirect 7% of the profit of every sold product to empower and educate women in Nepal. The donation will be used to train and empower women-led companies in developing countries through Naisten Pankki cooperation and Kaiko's own Nepal projects.
Social responsibility
A living wage
A living wage is one of the most important measures of social responsibility. Living wage means an amount that is enough to cover the basic expenses of life such as housing, food, health expenses, insurance, transportation and children's school fees. In developing countries, where there is no social security offered by society, it is especially important that the salary is enough to cover all the above-mentioned expenses.
At Kaiko, we monitor the wages paid by producers with the help of annual surveys. With producers operating within the EU, remuneration is based on legality and is therefore easy to follow. In Nepal, the minimum wage defined by law is not enough to live on, and that is why we monitor it particularly closely.
We use the World Fair Trade Organization's wage model as a benchmark for fair hiring. The living wage defined in the model has been calculated to match the standard of living in Kathmandu.
Social responsibility
Annual 7% donation
We help Nepalese women to develop their working environment and offer fair jobs to people in their area. The donation amount goes to Nepal through our own projects and team and in cooperation with the Women's Bank.
In 2021, we directly donated funds to Nepalese people impoverished by the covid crisis. The donation amount has also been used to train our own local team in Nepal.
Part of the donation amount will be directed to the Women's Bank for grassroots education, so that support can also be provided to women in remote areas, who do not have the same employment opportunities as urban women in Kathmandu.
Social responsibility
Kaiko's jewelry collection employs more than 25 Nepalese women
Kaiko's partner Aroma Beads was founded in 2014 and is owned by Anjila Shrestha Kunwar Rana and Indu Shrestha. In the beginning of 2024, already 25 women have participated in making Kaiko's jewelry at Aroma Beads. Making jewelry requires several weeks of training.
In addition to teaching jewelry making skills, Aroma Beads focuses on developing women's holistic well-being. The fair remuneration and working conditions of the employees can be taken care of through the cooperation with Anjila.
Social responsibility
Why Nepal?
Responsible workplaces are especially important in a developing country, where a lot of exploitation is encountered in working life and wages are often not enough to live on. For a Nepalese woman, the independence brought by a job and her own livelihood is often not only a life-changing experience, but also a way to get out of generations of poverty.
Even though Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, its 123 ethnic groups and their rich traditions in handicrafts and arts have created a unique atmosphere in the country, which is evident, for example, in our jewelry collection handmade in Nepal.
