Tis the season for things to get hectic. Take some time to relax with the cinnamon- and ginger-scented Gingerbread Man Soap from Palam Rural Centre in India. This soap was created by makers traditionally belonging to a caste of leather workers. Working with fair trade partner Palam Rural Centre and empowered with income-earning opportunities, people in this once-marginalized group have been able to purchase modest homes and send their children to school.

• Cinnamon and ginger-scented vegetable oil soap in paper box
• 3Lx2W inches
• 3.2 ounces
• Handmade in India

About the Maker: Palam Rural Centre (People’s Association for Leather and Allied Manufacturing) offers employment opportunities to people of the marginalized Harijan community in a village in Tamil Nadu region, southeastern India. In the Tamil language, Palam also means "bridge." Palam Rural Centre seeks to build a "bridge" to the markets of the rest of the world. With money from product sales, Palam has purchased land and homes for artisans (ownership traditionally unavailable to lower castes) and built a school for artisans’ children. Other artisan benefits include health care and retirement pensions. Palam artisans see education of their children as the key to hope and change. Through this work, Palam Rural Centre is providing dignity and security to artisans and helping to break down caste walls in society.