Who We Are
Hearts and Hands is a social business serving the deaf and disabled community in Kunming, China. It was founded in 2000 with the goal of giving a better future for those who are disadvantaged in Yunnan.
Today, our staff has grown into a wonderful family and is creating beautiful products that are sold around the world. Our workers are all deaf or disabled men and women from local communities in the Yunnan province. As we move forward, we aim to continuously provide a safe and healthy working environment for our staff, along with fair wages and adequate training and enlarge our business so that more jobs can be offered to the deaf and disabled community. At the same time, we pledge to produce high-quality products for our customers.
Why Work With the Deaf ?
According to UNICEF, there are approximately 120 million people in China with mild to severe hearing loss - that's 10% of the population. They exist in every city, every township and thousands of small villages.
In a country that's already highly populated, a person that suffers from any disability is more often than not discriminated and treated unfairly. We believe that everyone is created uniquely and disability does not equal inability. They have the desire and the potential to become responsible citizens and contribute to society positively. Therefore it is our job to make sure any physical challenges stop blocking them to live an abundant life.
That's where we come in....
How We're Making a Difference
Seeing the needs of the deaf community, our founder and former director Ingrid decided to establish a training class in patchwork and quilting for the young deaf. Fresh from UK and equipped with a degree in Sign Language, she learned the local sign language and began building relationships with the local deaf people, providing counselling, guidance and training. It wasn't long until the class became a small handicraft business employing young deaf who would otherwise struggle to make a living.
Today, we employ deaf and disabled men and women. They work in our workshop located within Kunming city. Their hours are fair and regular and any overtime is well-compensated. They have paid annual leaves and social welfare benefits, including health insurance and pension.
A HELPING HAND
General Manager
We're looking for someone who's passionate about serving the disadvantaged and who wants to make an impact in the lives of those who are less fortunate. To qualify, this person will have a background in business, be familiar with working in a social business environment and most importantly, be committed to improving and growing our business to better serve the Deaf community in Yunnan.
Sales Representatives
We are always looking for Sales Representatives to sell our products in China and abroad. You can sell at local markets, fairs, churches or even in your own home.
In-House Staff
If you think you have a skill that would be useful, we want to hear from you. Marketing, accounting or design specialist are welcome to contact us. Of course, you would have to be located in Kunming, China to qualify..!
Share Your Design Idea
We love creating new products so if you have a design for a product that you think we could create, we'd love to hear from you.
If you're interested in being part of a dynamic team from around the world, contact us today for more details.