As we honour international women’s day on the 8th March “empowerFULL” is launching the #WhatIf campaign to support women’s empowerment journey.
The #WhatIf campaign aims to share stories of women who have followed their dreams regardless of their journey’s barriers.
Inspiring women from all around the world have shared a challenging question starting with #WhatIf and some tips on how they have challenged limiting beliefs.
We present you with Laura Lana the founder of Khushi Kantha, a social enterprise selling multi-purpose baby blankets, hand-stitched from reclaimed and ethically-sourced cotton by mothers in Bangladesh. Khushi Kantha aims to create opportunities for mothers in Bangladesh to provide for their children with dignity. You can find more at www.khushikantha.com.
Laura Lana Founder of Khushi Kantha
#Whatif all mothers around the world were able to provide for their children with dignity?
Time and time again, I’ve been amazed by the resilience and generosity of Bangladeshi mothers living below the poverty line.
It’s been a long-standing dream of mine to use everything I’ve experienced and learned since I first moved to Bangladesh twelve years ago to start my own initiative, working directly with women whose position I could be in if circumstances were different. But I never knew where to start….
When I became pregnant with my half-British, half-Bangladeshi daughters, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the opportunities my daughters would have, and how unfair it was that other mothers couldn’t give their children everything they deserve.
My daughters were gifted a collection of traditional Bangladeshi ‘kantha’ blankets when they were born. Their vibrant colours and striking ‘kantha’ stitching drew compliments wherever we went…and I realised there could be a market for them, and this was how I could create opportunities for mothers in Bangladesh to provide for their children with dignity.