A day in the life of May

5am- Wake up

5:10am- Cook breakfast

6am-1pm: Work on the farm

1pm-2pm: Lunch break

2pm-3pm: Continue working on the farm

3pm-4pm: Pick up children from school

4pm-6pm: Gather weekly cooking wood from the forest

6pm-8pm: Cook and serve dinner for family

8pm-9pm: Clean up

9pm: Sew and prepare items to sale around town

11pm: Rest

This is what a day in May’s life looks like. She was taught to farm rice and corn at a very young age and works in the ( is it a specific farm? Is there only one? If not, I think it's "a farm") local farm most of the year. May is from the Red Dao ethnic minority, a subgroup of the Dao minority living in Ta Phin village, which is a small village in Lao Cai province. 

I met May the first day I arrived to Ta Phin village, as we walked to our hotel reception, many women (including May) and young girls came running at us to sell their products. They all spoke perfect English and wanted to know everything about us, " How long are you staying? Where are you from? How much would you pay for this handbag? " they asked.  May, however, was quieter than the rest. She stood in the back carrying her 4 year old daughter, Pham, in a traditional baby sling.  She greeted us warmly and told us to call her anytime if we wanted to take a look at her handmade products. 

We didn’t see May again until the next day when Pham came running towards me with a big smile on her face. She then grabbed my hand and took me to her mom’s basket full of precious handmade items. After spending most of the previous afternoon walking around Sa Pa village, I realized that a lot of the “handmade” items being sold on the streets and stores were in fact not handmade. It was easy to see they were mass produced and were low quality. Unfortunately, many tourists buy these products without knowing that they are supporting the end of traditional craftsmanship. 

But, May’s products were different. Each item she showed me was unique, embellished with traditional embroidery techniques. She uses silk threads and different fabrics to produce the most beautiful baby slings, each taking her 3-4 months to create.  Her mother taught her how to sew and to create patterns depicting farm life and nature. It is part of the Red Dao tradition for women perfect their sewing skills at a young age before they are even considered ready to be married. 

May has a family of six to support, her husband works with her at the farm, but their salaries combined are not enough to support such a large family. She sells her handmade products around town to come up with some extra income for her family.  She hopes to teach her younger daughter, Pham, traditional Red Dao craftsmanship, but her main goal right now is to find ways to provide for her family and keep her children in school. Pham is a star student at the village kindergarten. And knowing her potential, May wants to make sure she has the opportunity to continue her education. 

A percentage of our sales are always returned to the artisan. In this case a purchase of one of May's products will directly support her so she can continue making her crafts and supporting her family. You can find her products at www.theworldscorner.com

If you’re visiting Sa Pa in the near future, make sure to contact Ethos: Spirit of the Community to experience the real Sa Pa and learn more about the lives and traditions of the ethnic minority groups living in this area.