Athwela Marketplace represents people coming together and building a community, Athwela meaning helping hands in Sinhala.
Athwela Marketplace in Ibbagamuwa is an initiative by The Grassrooted Trust , a local organisation set up to provide a safe space for marginalized communities in Sri Lanka. Amongst other programs, we offer emergency shelter, legal support, psycho-social care for survivors of violence.
In order to empower the communities we work with, Grassrooted has curated a range of products based on the principles of fair trade, working with selected artisans to bring you a unique range of products that reflect the skills, diversity, and imagination of Sri Lanka.
This is how Athwela Marketplace came to be. Every product holds a story worth telling. And we tell it openly, from what the artisan earns to how 80% of the rest flows back to the communities at the root of everything we make.
Our intention is to connect with communities across the world, and to give our communities the opportunity to benefit from a globalised economy.