MEET URMILA AND ROMA

Urmila working on a new design

Their room

Roma needling beads for the Cleopatra Malla necklace

Meet the artisan

Don't quit your day job

Bead Beauties

Urmila, 70 and her daughter Roma, 24 make the beaded Global Daughter Cleopatra Malla necklaces. They work out of their home, a 16' x 16' room with one bed to share, a night stand and a portable cooking stove. They rent the room out for about $14 a month. It is just them in the family, the husband died 10 years ago and they have no other living relatives. They are originally from a border city in Southwestern Nepal. Roma left school in 8th grade to take care of her mother. She started bead working at 14, when her father died to earn a living. Urmila has been doing bead work for over 30 years. She is uneducated and it is the only skill she has to generate an income. At 70, Urmila is a very spirited and energetic woman; she had a smile on her face the whole time I was visiting. Roma takes care of her mother and will probably never marry because she would have to go live with her husband's parents and leave her mother. Despite her fate, she constantly is laughing and smiling. 

Both work 8 hours a day, Sunday through Friday and can finish one necklace in 4 hours. They sit cross-legged on the floor in their tiny room and needle beads from morning until night. They get paid per piece, so the more they make, the more money they receive. They make about 30% of the cost of one necklace. They have been working for Anup Beads for 10 years. They told me that all day they are working, they are talking, drinking tea together and enjoying the relaxation of beading. They are both extremely detail-oriented and very skilled with intricate designs. 

It was great to be able to meet them and see the artists behind our beautiful and unique necklaces. Their modest life made it clear how much they depend on their bead skills to survive. We look forward to giving them as much work as possible! I will begin working with them this month to design and create beaded drink coasters and bracelets. Hopefully, we can bring them more business and introduce their fine work to consumers worldwide. They are very warm and friendly women and I am proud to be working with them. Visits with women artisans are the most rewarding part of the Global Daughter journey and the key to our mission.