Aim
Khmer Silk Processing Association (KSPA) is the income generating programme
of the Future Light Orphanage (FLO), an NGO that provides mental health
counselling and orphanage care for more than 250 children. KSPA aims to
generate income for the orphanage and its social programmes and provide
training and sustainable employment for 30 previously poor women.
History and Philosophy
FLO grew out of the Khmer People Depression Relief (KPDR), established in
1987 at the ‘Site II’ refugee camp on the Cambodian-Thai border. The
orphanage and KSPA workshop are situated on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
KSPA is committed to producing high-quality silk products using traditional
Khmer dying and weaving techniques. To protect the environment as well as
the health of workers, and to create beautiful and unique colours, KSPA uses
only natural dyes. In 2004, in recognition of KSPA’s innovative approaches
and efforts to preserve and promote traditional craftsmanship, UNESCO
awarded the association its “Seal of Excellence for Handicrafts in Southeast
Asia.”
Products
Silk fashion accessories, Silk for garment production