What originally started as an exciting addition to our holiday line, ended up mattering more than we could have ever imagined.

Many of you have taken notice of the high quality, handmade gift wrap, gift tags, notebooks and notecards that hit the website at the launch of the 2015 Holiday Collection. What you may not yet know, is the beautiful story of not only how these paper products are made, but also how they are changing lives in Nepal today.

THE STORY

On April 25, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the country of Nepal and specifically the area of Dolakah, taking the lives of over 9,000 people and inuring over 23,000. When news hit about the earthquake, we immediately thought of our friends in Nepal and asked how we could help.

As you have seen and read, they requested that we buy lots of paper to allow them to provide jobs and relief assistance to those in need in their community.

THE PAPER

At first touch, you can tell that this heavy weight, hand crafted paper was made with care. But, you may not realize just how intricate the process is from plant to packaging… So we are sharing a bit of that story with you today.

1) Dry Lokta plant bark is cleaned and sifted through, before it is ground into a thick pulp.

2) This pulp is then poured into handmade 20 x 30in paper frames which are then left out to dry and set

3) The paper is hand painted and silk screened to add color and intricate gilded designs

4) The paper is packaged and shipped off to Accent Decor, where we then ship it off to you in packs of 3 sheets still remaining that same 20 x 30in size, straight from the hands of the women who made it.

THE ANSWER

1) With every purchase of one of the handcrafted paper products from Nepal, Accent Decor will be donating 25% of the total purchase directly to Ganga Ghar. This money will be used to aid Phase II of their relief plan, which includes the rebuilding of a school in the center of Dolakah.

2) If you would like to contribute to relief efforts in Nepal, we would love for you to join us in supporting the Ganga Ghar mission in any way possible. As a grassroots organization, Ganga Ghar was able to “Marshal the funds we raise in a rapid and effective way to both procure the essential supplies – food, fresh water, blankets and tents – and dispatch them to those who are in need.” In their second phase of relief, they will be providing construction assistance to Dolakah and it’s surrounding communities.

The orders you place with Accent Decor reach farther than we sometimes realize. We appreciate your support of our friends in Nepal, and the constant support you give us to make what we do possible. To see more ways that your Accent Decor purchases are paying it forward, please visit AD Gives Back.

Cheers,
MADDIE

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