Joyya was established in 2001 to manufacture quality jute bags whilst also providing intervention and employment to women who had been trafficked into prostitution in Kolkata, India. They now employ over 175+ women who manufacture our export quality bags, t-shirts & accessories. 

All Joyya products are sold to benefit the communities they work in. They operate 4 factories across their different communities, which range in size from a small team of 10-12 people, to a larger building housing multiple production units (over 100 people). Joyya's factories handle all the steps from cutting and sewing product, to getting it printed and packed.

There are times where due to capacity constraints, Joyya partners with like-minded manufacturers to complete orders. This is an essential part of their sustainability as a business, and we will always let you know if any part of your order needs to be outsourced. To learn more about why outsourcing is so important to Joyya, please read on in our FAQ.

Note: Joyya works to ensure all thier systems are standardized across all orders, but specific processes may vary in the case of highly customized orders.

Joyya believes employment is a key factor in impacting their local communities and so they try to be transparent about who they employ. To learn more about some of thier hiring principles, check out this ARTICLE.

We try and update these statistics regularly, but if you would like a real-time update on our hiring metrics, email us at team@kindredapparel.com

Our Workforce in India: The staffing levels below are as of April 2021

Production - 115
Logistics - 7
Procurement - 9
People Care - 6
Administration - 14
Total = 151

When Joyya commit's to participating in a community, they look at how their business can make a positive impact at both an individual and communal level. While their charitable work focuses on capacity building in the community, our business intends to be an Economic Engine for transformation

The 4 Components of Economic Impact: Joyya wants their business to focus on doing what businesses can do uniquely well. Their impact areas are split into 4 categories. For each category, they look at certain indicators to help them assess thier level of impact.

1) Provide Economic Stability
- Increase the average wage level for their staff
- Increase the number of jobs they offer
- Increase the entry-level wage for the lowest level job

2) Realize Economic Potential
- Increase internal promotion
- Facilitate successful external job placements
- Develop deep professional training for ALL staff

+ Joyya ensures that every staff member (regardless of seniority) has at least 2-hours each week towards personal development and training

3) Create an Economic Canopy
- Support local businesses in their procurement
- Invest time, training and funds in local small businesses
- Help shape and improve the economic identity of a community

4) Donate Developmental Assistance
- Invest in measuring the economic health of a community
- Fund developmental projects in a community
- Donate time and talent to projects in our community.

As Joyya grows, they will look to publish both baseline and year-over-year performance against each of these areas for each community in which they operate.

Want to learn more about Joyya? Visit their website to keep reading: www.joyya.com

Joyya is about seeing communities transformed, and they define communities as a group of people belonging to a place. So, when they talk about transformation, it’s more than simply people’s lives. Joyya also wants to see the places they inhabit transformed and restored.

Joyya staff have the privilege of living with communities that inhabit the outskirts and margins of India. These are places where clean water, clear air and good soil are not guaranteed. They are rights that Joyya's communities must fight for. Joyya wants to be in solidarity with their communities, and see these places restored.

If we’re honest, we has a long way to go in that goal.

Joyya is a young company in an industry traditionally known for poor labor and environmental practices. It is difficult to change attitudes and hearts of ourselves, our suppliers and our customers. But we believe it can be done.

In the first ten years Joyya's existence it was about proving that a business for the poor and marginalized can work, and Joyya wants their next chapter to be about proving they can indeed transform.

It’s in that spirit that Joyya has announced thier Good Earth 2035 vision. Thier vision entails committing to:

Good Air:

• Reaching Net-Zero Carbon emissions by 2035, across thier supply chain.
• Investing in energy-efficient machinery across all production processes.
• Regular air-quality audits across all thier factories.

Good Water:

• Reaching Net-Zero waste water generation by 2035.
• Investing in on-site water treatment systems for run-off.
• Tracking total water usage across all facilities with usage reduction targets.

Good Ground:

• Continued commitment to provide organic cotton and jute products globally.
• Ensure 100% of material waste passes through multi-stream recycling.

Joyya knows they have a lot to do to reach their vision. When they started, people said you can’t build a profitable business in a red-light area, slum or rural village. Perhaps it’s tempting to believe you can’t build an Earth-friendly one either. But they've surrounded ourselves with like minded local, national and international businesses and a SUPPLY CHAIN FROM ALL OVER INDIA that believes we can see change in this life time

However, as someone once said about reaching the moon – We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

Joyya wants to ensure their products are good for both people and planet. They believe it is important to be accountable and responsible with how they operate, and they work with various certification bodies to ensure they are constantly improving in this critical area of performance. The list below comprises the main certifications Joyya carries. Click on the links to learn more about their various certifications and assessments. You can also learn about their Good Earth 2035 vision HERE. You can view their certifications HERE.

1) Raw Material Certifications

Joyya sources cotton and jute from a number of different factories, mills and suppliers. The list below contains their most common fabric suppliers along with their accreditations. Joyya also completes regular audit checks of their suppliers as part of their commitment to WFTO operating principles. Check out a blank sample form at the bottom of this article.

CHETNA ORGANICS - COTTON FARM

Chetna works with small and marginal farmers towards improving their livelihood options and making farming a sustainable and profitable occupation. Chetna work with farmers from the rainfed regions of Maharashtra, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh covering around 43,500 acres. From 234 farmer members in 2004 to around 35,852 in 2014, Chetna’s strength has been collective action and the fair supply chain. Chetna assists and works to improve farm productivity, promote food security, get better prices for their crops and invest in health, education and business infrastructure within their communities. A self elected association: the Chetna Organic Farmer Association (COFA) has been established with the assistance of staff and support agencies. COFA as a platform not only helps farmers to voice concerns, share space in the textile supply chain and understand its complexities, but also helps farmers to have a better negotiation position.

Ethics and certifications:

- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
- FLOCERT (FLO ID 4018)

RAJLAKSHMI COTTON MILLS (RCM)

RCM was set up in 1934 in Kolkata, West Bengal. They combine high quality tailoring with a fair deal for farmers and workers, RCM use mostly organic and Fair Trade cotton as well as other sustainable fibers such as Tencel, Modal and Linen. The cotton is certified by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), FLO-Fairtrade and Fair Trade-USA.

RCM sources its cotton from Chetna Organic Cotton. RCM orients its production around sustainability; it is certified under the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and reuses 50 percent of its waste water. This is achieved by  collaborating with dye houses and installing reverse osmosis machines. Sludge is converted into fertilizer and fabric scraps are taken from the cutting tables and recycled to produce paper.

RCM management and staff collaborate with a local NGO to calculate a living wage for employees every six months, and ensure that the lowest paid workers are paid above this rate. Wages are verified by independent third party audits to ensure compliance with Fair Trade USA standards. In addition, 10% of RCM shares have been gifted to the Chetna farmers, so the farmers now receive a share of RCM profits.

Ethics and certifications:

- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
- FLOCERT (FLO ID 4512)
- SA 8000
- ISO9001:2000
- OEKOTEX100

SSV TEXTILES (SSV)

SSV provides the cotton sheeting and canvas used in many Joyya bags. The company was launched in 2011 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The mill specializes in organic, non-organic, BCI and OEKO TEX fabrics.

Ethics and certifications:

- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
- Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
- Organic Content Standard (OCS)
- Better Cotton Initiative (BCI ID 10030
- OEKOTEX100

T.T. TEXTILEWINGS (TTT)

TTT is a Kolkata-based provider for cotton sheeting and canvas used in many Joyya bags. The company was launched in 1994 and specializes in certified fabrics including Jute, Cotton and Polyester.

Ethics and certifications:

 - Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
 - Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
 - FLOCERT (FLO ID 42351)

GLOSTER LIMITED

Gloster is a world leader in providing certified, ethical jute fabric. With over 64 years of management experience in manufacturing and selling jute, the organization is a leader in ethical production. Gloster relies on the triple bottom approach, whereby they believe that the long term value of business is inherently dependent on social, environmental and financial performance of the company. This statement by the company gives an overview of key initiatives in this area. TEST

Ethics and certifications:

 - Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
- FLOCERT (FLO ID 25971)
- SA 8000:2014
- ISO9001:2015
- OEKOTEX100

2) Production Certifications

Our main production processes involve cutting, sewing, printing and packing products. For the past decade, our focus has been (a) ensuring we source from ethical and accountable manufacturers and (b) to develop our own systems to be a world class model on how to do business that is good for people and places. 

If we’re honest, Freeset has a long way to go in that goal. We’re a young company in an industry traditionally known for poor labor and environmental practices. It is difficult to change attitudes and hearts of ourselves, our suppliers and our customers. But we believe it can be done. Our early days were about proving that a business built on people from difficult and at-risk communities can work. We want our next chapter to be about proving they can indeed transform.

Ethics and certifications:

 - World Fair Trade Organization Certified Member
 - A+ Ethical Fashion Grade from Baptist World Aid (2019)

Joyya's business focuses on a holistic transformation of individuals and communities (read more HERE). A core part of their impact is through creating sustainable employment for those at-risk or marginalized in our community, who struggle to get employment elsewhere. Given there are limited job's, they want to ensure they are thoughtful in deciding WHO gets a job.

A Few Key Principles

1) Differentiating between "Impact Jobs" and regular jobs

Given the communities Joyya works in, there are certain jobs they cannot always fill locally. Joyya wants to recruit the best possible IT, HR, Finance, Marketing and Operations talent and find people who share our vision and culture. While they do search in their local communities, Joyya also knows they need to expand the pool. For these jobs where experience and talent are a must, Joyya looks for the best available candidate, regardless of where they live. 

However, for jobs where they know it is easier to develop and train people, Joyya wants to hire locally. These "Impact Jobs" are jobs Joyya thinks they can use to provide employment for someone who would not get employment elsewhere. These range from entry-level jobs like cleaning, to jobs that require modest training (e.g. sewing, printing, cutting, packing). Where possible, we also try to recruit supervisory or clerical jobs from these communities.

2) Impact Jobs must be for those living in a Target Community

Poverty, addiction and exploitation are massive issues in almost every community in India. Joyya wants to consolidate their impact to make a generational change, and so they focus on a handful of communities. Currently Joyya focuses on 4 communities, and to the best of their ability, try to maximize employment from these neighborhoods

3) Impact Jobs must balance need and aptitude

Joyya wants a job to be a real job and a not a hand-out. Therefore, they are often looking for those people who just need some training and structure to see a big improvement. They know skill development matters and want to create good incentives to ensure people continue improving even after they start working for Joyya.

However, they also know that sometimes the neediest among us will have limited ability to improve. Sometimes Joyya knows they need to give a job to someone just because they really need it, and they may not be the best at it, but they will be good enough, and it will mean the world for them.

Its a balancing act and they don't always get it right, but Joyya thinks their approach is sound. Joyya works with their social work and neighborhood engagement teams to understand which people need jobs and would benefit most from working with them. They use training programs to identify skill level and potential. And after taking it all in, they make a hiring decision and hope they get it right.

So why does Joyya hire so many women?

Joyya's goal is to create jobs for ALL people in need (men and women). They are thankful for the amazing men who are a part of their team at every level of the organization. Joyya needs them and they need more people like them. However, there is no denying Joyya employs a lot more women than men. This is the outcome of a few dynamics at play in their community.

1) Women tend to be more vulnerable

Gender discrimination is a reality in Joyya's communities. Keeping girls in school is a challenge, and most local companies prefer to hire men for most jobs. The simple fact is that it is hard for women in their community to get dignified stable employment. Most women either run small food shops and stores, or work as cooks and cleaners. While there are opportunities for educated women, the jobs for low-skill women is limited at best. Therefore, Joyya finds the need to be more prevalent among women in their community, and tend to hire more women as a result

2) Employing women has a larger developmental impact in at-risk communities

It might feel controversial to some, but study after study has shown that the societal benefits of employing women is massive, and is often the key to broader social improvement. Studies by multiple developmental and government agencies and private firms have shown that improving inclusion of women in the workforce has ripple effects on school enrollment, health, safety and overall income inequality. Joyya has listed some useful studies from major aid agencies below. Even anecdotally, their experience has shown that income earned by women is more consistently reinvested into the household in the form of school fees, improved diets, home repair and retirement savings. 

- IMF: EMPOWERING WOMEN IS SMART ECONOMICS
- IFC: INVESTING IN WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT: GOOD FOR BUSINESS, GOOD FOR DEVELOPMENT
- MCKINSEY & CO: HOW ADVANCING WOMEN'S EQUALITY CAN ADD $12 TRILLION TO GLOBAL GROWTH