FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
- Who are 'people with different abilities'?
- What does 'Hòa Nhập' mean?
- What does “gifts that give twice” mean?
- Who founded Reaching Out and why?
- Do you receive government support?
- Is Reaching Out a charity?
- Why is Reaching Out a Fair Trade gift shop?
- How do we know you are not just using the “fair trade” tag as a marketing ploy?
- Why does Reaching Out Handicrafts operate a Fixed Price Policy?
- Are all your products hand-made?
- How can I wash/clean/polish my purchase?
- Are all the products made by differently abled people?
- How do you seek out differently abled handicraft producers around Vietnam?
- Does your producer network include other businesses?
- Where does the money go?
- How much are your artisans paid?
- What disAbilities do the artisans have?
- How many days per week do your artisans work and how many hours one day?
- How many artisans are working for Reaching Out? Are they from Hoi An?
- Are there many shops like Reaching Out in Vietnam?
- How can I get involved?
- Do you export your products?
- Can I order online?
- What is the situation of people with different abilities in Vietnam?
If you have any further questions that are not answered here, please feel free to contact us .
1. Who are 'people with different abilities'?
Experience has shown the hidden potential of differently abled people and the “alternative capacities” they can develop to balance the ones they lack. Nevertheless, differently abled people are still denied access to social integration. They are often considered different, and thus marginalized. Through this initiative we hope to make people think of disAbled people as “having different abilities”, rather than “being disAbled” and thereby help them to overcome the barriers they often encounter and to highlight their great potential.
“Hòa Nhập”, is the Vietnamese name for our social business. It means “integration” which is one of our core values.
3 . What does “gifts that give twice” mean?
A gift from Reaching Out gives twice. You as the customer receive beautiful gifts for friends, family or yourself. The Reaching Out team receives a gift as well, because each sale helps us create more jobs for people with different abilities and supports our artisans. To learn more about us and our slogan, please click here.
4. Who founded Reaching Out and why?
Reaching Out was founded in the year 2000 by a group of other-abled people led by Le Nguyen Binh. Le Nguyen Binh has paraplegia and uses a wheelchair for mobility. His aim has been to empower other differently abled people to become responsible for their lives and become integrated into their communities through open employment. At that time, there were no job or training facilities for people with disAbilities in Hoi An, but Le Nguyen Binh believed in the abilites of disabled people and founded Reaching Out for the local disabled people. To learn more, please read about our story and about Le Nguyen Binh.
5. Do you receive government support?
No, we do not receive any funding from the government or any charitable organizations. We rely solely on what we sell to be able to employ disAbled people. However, the local government has enabled us to rent the building where our store and workshop are located for a reasonable price.
No, it isn't. In fact, it is a social business, putting people and sustainable commerce ahead of profits. It aims to change lives, not optimize profit. However, because it is a business Reaching Out's operations must be assessed not only on its goodwill, but also on its effectiveness. We at Reaching Out combine the commitment of the public sector with the dynamism of the private sector.
7. Why is Reaching Out a Fair Trade gift shop?
We have adopted the internationally accepted principles of Fair Trade as one of our Core Values. These principles and guidelines are widely understood around the world by discerning consumers who, to a large measure, make their buying decisions based on the knowledge that the product that they are purchasing has been produced in a safe and democratic workplace; that the producers are paid a fair wage and most importantly at Reaching Out, that disadvantaged people have the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and become independent and lead full and rewarding lives. We adhere to the principles in all our working relationships, especially those with our network of producers in their homes or workshops across Vietnam. We advocate the essential principles of “fair trade” .
8. How do we know you are not just using the “fair trade” tag as a marketing ploy?
This is a good question. Although we are still in the process of applying to the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization) and endeavoring to meet their high standards of membership, we have used their Code of Conduct as our guiding principles for a number of years. Our values, policies and practices meet and sometimes exceed the expectations of this trusted and internationally recognized organization. Our paramount concern is fairness in all our relationships, with our employees, customers and suppliers.
9. Why does Reaching Out Handicrafts operate a Fixed Price Policy?
Every item has been priced in accordance with the cost of material and the time and effort taken to make each piece. Some take up to 3 months to complete. The price of many of our products is often set by the producer to ensure that they receive fair return for their craftsmanship. Our fixed price policy also ensures that all customers are paying the same fair price. We do not bargain in our retail shop. Our careful pricing guidelines reflect our belief that our products are of a very high quality and our employees deserve a consistent remuneration.
10. Are all of these products handmade?
Yes, all of our products are individually handmade.
11. How can I wash/clean/polish my purchase?
Please go to our care instructions to find the right instruction for your purchase.
12. Are all your products made by differently abled people?
Yes, all of our products are made by differently abled people. We do have some abled supervisors, trainers and sales staff.
13. How do you seek out and support differently abled handicraft producers around Vietnam ?
The Director and founder of Reaching Out, Mr. Binh Le, is a leading advocate for people with disabilities in Vietnam. He often attends national workshops of differently abled people where he meets many leaders of self-help groups who introduce him to producers who are potential suppliers. Reaching Out now has a grassroots network of disAbled handicraft producers across Vietnam in addition to those who work in our own workshop in Hoi An.
14. Does your producer network include other businesses?
We support only businesses which employ Persons with Disabilities (PWD's) mainly.
Our employees receive training, ongoing support, a meal allowance, social insurance and health insurance and are paid a fair market wage. Any profit we make is put back into our social business in order to further develop Reaching Out. We also support community programs for people with different abilities.
16. How much are your artisans paid?
Every employee is paid a monthly salary based on his/her productivity and the quality of the products they have made. On average, they receive about 35% more for their products than other producers of similar handicrafts in Vietnam . The salaries of all our craftspeople are well above the legal minimum and many differently abled employees earn higher salaries than their able bodied counterparts in Hoi An.
17 . What disAbilities do the artisans have?
Our artisans have different kinds of disAbilities. The majority of our artisans are physically disabled; Hearing/Speech impairment and Mobility impairment. As well, Reaching Out employs artisans with learning disAbilities or Down Syndrome.
18. How many days per week do your artisans work and how many hours one day?
Our artisans work 6 days a week and 8 hours a day. They have a free lunch and a 1:30 hour lunch break for relaxing. All of our craftspeople have 12 days holiday per year additional to all official Vietnamese holidays, like Tet, 10 days.
19. How many artisans are working for Reaching Out? Are they from Hoi An?
In our workshop in Hoi An, we have 45 employees working for Reaching Out. They are all from Hoi An or the nearby villages. Additionally, we do have 6 workgroups with 52 artisans all together and 22 home-based artisans, who are spread all over Vietnam.
20. Are there many shops like Reaching Out in Vietnam ?
No, there aren't. Reaching Out is the only shop set up by and for the benefit of differently abled people, offering a centralized marketing service for other-abled handicraft producers in Vietnam.
Please find the answer to this question here.
22. Do you export your products?
We do export some of our products to other countries. If you are interested in importing our products in your country or if you are looking for a store in your country selling our products, please look at our retailer site or just browse in our online catalogue.
Yes, you can order online. Please visit our online catalogue.
24. What is the situation of people with different abilities in Vietnam ?
In Vietnam it is estimated that 7% of the population or 5.6 million people are disabled. Unfortunately, services for people with different abilities (PWDs) in Vietnam are severely under-funded and highly inefficient. PWDs face significant challenges accessing and obtaining information on employment, health and educational services, gaining legal rights, and receiving emotional and financial support. As a result, differently abled people have lower education and income levels than the rest of the population and are among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. The Vietnamese government has made some efforts to improve the quality of life for PWDs, including passing legislation to equalize rights, increase opportunities for health, education and employment, and improve accessibility. However, enforcement of these policies is limited. Unfortunately many government disAbility programs were designed without input and participation from PWDs.