The need to recycle is a largely ignored but a very important consideration, and this was what they focused on. As a popular saying goes, “We don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children,” there lies a great responsibility on us to save our environment, and you’re doing your part if you recycle. Recycling reduces our need to dump our garbage in someone else’s piece of empty land, as is the custom in our country, and there’s a lot of potential for the use of handmade recycled paper.
The birth of Jamarko
Having realized this, Aruna Lacoul and Muna Shrestha started a small cottage industry in 2001 and have worked steadfastly at it since then. They worked as wholesale suppliers and exporters and didn’t have their own retail outlet till Kritica, having graduated from South Asian Institute of Management in Thailand, stepped in. The novelty of the idea is what struck a chord with the founding members who hadn’t given the retail store a thought till the idea was put forth.
The sisters met with a lot of skepticism at first. Their family was cynical about them opening up a store. But having finally convinced everybody, the store was launched in November 2010.
The store boasts a wide array of products from handmade recycled paper sheets to notebooks and letter pads. But it’s not limited to paper products only; there’s much more for you to choose from while shopping at this nature-friendly haven. There’s a variety of felt products, cornhusk products, ceramics, and candles as well.
Another unique aspect about Jamarko is that it provides employment to disadvantaged women, the differently-abled and street children, giving preference to girl children.
The sisters and the retail store
While Ritica is the creative mind behind the store, making bookmarks and painting bottles, it’s Kritica who looks after the overall management and makes sure the store runs smoothly.
“I’m involved in the design aspect and look into the mundane that need my attention. Kritica makes sure everything’s managed well. We run the place perfectly in tandem,” says Ritica.
The zeal the two sisters share for being environment friendly is what brings them even closer.
“The concept behind the store is to make people aware of the importance of recycling and thus minimize the amount of wastepaper,” shares Kritica. The two huge baskets outside the store with the label “Don’t dump it. Donate it”’ stands testimony to the fact that they are urging passers by to not just toss waste paper on the street but to give it away for recycling.
“We want to play an active part in conserving our depleting natural resources, however small the role may be. We’ve got to start somewhere,” adds Ritica.
Besides the products found in the store, they also take orders for various office supplies, stationeries, and even wedding invitations.
Kritica has plans to focus more on the factory and expand the line of products they now have. The retail store is just an outlet to encourage people to buy recycled paper products, and judging from the happy smiles on the sisters’ faces, you can see that they’re succeeding in doing just that.
“People buy a lot of notebooks and paper products like envelopes and cards, and they appreciate them and come back for more. We have a quite a few regular customers,” says Ritica.
The store is a potpourri of goodies, and everything is environment friendly. Who could’ve thought that waste materials could be of so much use!
Let’s recycle and contribute
We’re living with the results of human choices and that can be changed by making better, wiser choices. Choose recycled paper products in place of normal paper products and contribute to a greener and cleaner environment. And there’s Jamarko to help you do just that.
“Let’s not remain oblivious to what’s happening with our natural resources. The steady depletion will soon leave us with nothing if we don’t do something about it now. It is human nature – nobody does anything until it’s too late. Let’s change that attitude. Buy recycled products and reuse whatever you can,” says Kritica.
“Every action has its repercussion and so we have to act accordingly,” adds Ritica.
All in all, Jamarko is a store with a conscience, and shopping in the store is an experience in itself. So step in and shop without burning a hole in your pocket and without the guilt of spending your hard-earned money because, well, you’re only doing your bit in saving the environment, aren’t you?
Let’s all be ready to give up our passive and self-indulgent consumptiveness. Let’s reuse what we can, like that plastic bag we got while grocery shopping and recycle what we can’t reuse, like yesterday’s newspaper. Let’s go green!
For more information and product browsing, log on to jamarko.com.np or email Kritica at jamarko@gmail.com.
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