November's Featured Producer Partner | Vazashen's Mariam Sarhatyan

Meet Mariam! She's the lead producer of some of HDIF's newest and most popular items.  She lives in Vazashen, located in a remote part of the Tavush region.  She is a young woman who is empowering other women in her community to create beautiful, handmade products.They make crocheted vine leaf coasters & grape wine bottle ornaments. HDIF has been working with Mariam and her group on quality, production capacity, best business practices, ideas for new products.

Vazashen was once a center for wine production during the Soviet era.  The products that Mariam and her group make pay homage to these roots.

Vazashen is constantly under fire from Azerbajian. In Oct. 2018, the Human Rights Defender conducted a fact-finding mission and reported that the Azerbaijani military has been targeting children in its continuous attacks on the area.

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