… a new school in Mawaiya, Mirzapur, India.
It is now the ninth school in Bhadohi and surrounding areas in India.
It all started at the end of June 2021 when the company benuta GmbH from Bonn, Germany contacted the CARE & FAIR Europe office in Hamburg.
benuta GmbH notified C & F of a larger donation to build a new school in India and to cover the running costs for a few years.
After a verbal handshake between benuta GmbH and C & F, the new school was born.
Suddenly everything happened very quickly.
Mr. Ahsan Khan, Trustee – General Secretary of CARE & FAIR India donated C & F a property in Mawaiya, Mirzapur which is right next to the Ganges. He once inherited this piece of land from his father Mr. Abdul Mabood Khan alias Nanhoo Khan.
Puja was celebrated in October 2021. “Puja” is Sanskrit and is a worship ritual (Puja) for the Earth or Mother Earth. In India, a puja is performed before the construction of a building and the earth’s blessings are requested for the building. The puja at the beginning of construction is intended to ensure that the construction is successful and that the future residents and/or visitors are satisfied.
The final land transfer took place in January 2022 and drilling for water and construction began in February 2022.
On April 16, 2024, the new school was ready for occupancy and was officially inaugurated by Mrs. Monika Adler and Mr. Ali Bahgeri (the managing directors of benuta GmbH). The school started the new school year immediately in April with three classes. Grades 4, 5 and 6 will follow next year at the start of the new school year 2025.
C & F is also pleased that another woman empowerment program has been launched.
At this point we would like to say a big thank you to Mrs. Monika Adler, Mr. Ali Bahgeri and the benuta team for their continued support.
Without them, C & F would not have been able to build this new school.
The carpet trade is lucky to have a company like benuta GmbH.
Our thanks also go to Mr. Khan and his family for their generosity in donating this wonderful pice of land.
We also thank our board members of C&F India, our office colleagues and all the construction workers who gave their best to complete this project.
We also appreciate our members who have supported our work. CARE & FAIR wishes the children who receive an education at the “benuta school” much success and joy in their future lives.
Im März dieses Jahres hat CARE & FAIR den Schüler, den Frauen des WEP, den Lehrern und 
Angestellten ein Season`s Meal in Form eines Mittagessens ermöglichen können.
Diese Idee stammt ursprünglich von der schwedischen Firma Firma RugVista aus Malmö,
welche schon 2018 ein Weihnachtsessen gespendet hatte.
Diese schöne Geste haben wir dieses Jahr mit einem “Frühjahrs Essen” umgesetzt.
Wie Sie sehen können genießen alle dieses Essen.
Wir möchten uns für diese tolle Idee und die Spenden, die uns dies ermöglicht haben,
herzlichst bei der Firma RugVista, Schweden bedanken.
Class: 1 to 5
At: 27-02-2023
Venue: Sunbeam School Suncity, Varanasi
First Session: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Second Session: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
At regular intervals, C & F organizes workshops for its teachers, in which they learn
how to make their lessons even better and more effective.
At the request of our board member Ms. Parveen Job, the Sunbeam School Suncity, Varanasi,
organized a two-day training workshop for the teachers of all Care & Fair schools.
31 teachers from the 6 Care & Fair primary schools took part in the program.
At 9:30 a.m., the teachers reached the training hall of the Sunbeam School Suncity.
First, Ms. Rao, the training director of the Sunbeam School Suncity, outlined the goals
and structure of the workshop and opened it with a light ceremony.
Afterwards, Ms. Rinku, a trainer, continued the workshop and presented a short film about
the activities of the Sunbeam School Suncity.
After the tea break, all the teachers were escorted to the Digi Lab where they were taught
about ‘Smart Classes’ by another trainer, Mr. Debashish.
The teachers were explained the pedagogical method of teaching such subjects as grammar,
mathematics and other subjects. They were taught how activities like yoga can be used for innovative teaching.
In order to teach the students how to count easily and effectively, the teachers were also
shown how to use the abacus correctly.
In order to make the lessons more interesting and easier, the teachers were informed
about the use and applications of the Internet and mobile phones.
After that, the teachers were explained the use of TLM (Teaching-Learning-Material) and
how it can be made by using easily available materials in the schools themselves.
Ms. Kapoor, another trainer, carried out other activities to make the lessons more interesting,
such as explaining complex concepts through different games.
This workshop showed the active participation and enthusiasm of the teachers right up to the end.
We believe that more such workshops and programs in collaboration with the Sunbeam School can prove fruitful and help to improve the existing potential of our teachers.
The CARE & FAIR office will relocated to the Amita School.
At the end of 2022, the board of C & F India decided to relocate the office.
At the beginning of February 2023, the construction of a new C & F office began on the still vacant area at the Amita school.
This new office also includes a boardroom where future board meetings can be held.
Here are a few impressions of the construction.
On September 24th, CARE & FAIR Girls High School, which is right next to the Linie Design School in Chaksikhari, received the re-registration as a Girls’ High School.
This registration is very important so that the girls who finish the ninth and tenth grade also receive a recognized certificate.
At the moment we have 4 classes with together 161 students:
Class 9 → 81 students / Science 39 and Home Science 42
Class 10 → 80 students / Science 43 and Home Science 37
There has also been a “change of leadership” within the management of the school.
Unfortunately, the long-standing director, Ms. Ambuj Dixit, is no longer available to us.
This position has been taken over by Mrs. Jaya Singh who has also taught at the school for years.
Two new apprentices were also hired.
We welcome our new employees and look forward to a good working relationship.
To organize a 4-day trip for the C & F teachers, two of our board members, our office staff and some teachers met. Departure times, accommodation, day tours and a Whatsapp group were booked and organised.
On June 2, 2022 at 8:30 p.m., the train departed from Bhadohi station to Bareily (near New Delhi).
At 5:30 in the morning, everyone reached the destination station. From there they continued by car in the direction of the Nain Valley (The Nain Valley is one of the most popular and beautiful holiday resorts in the northern mountains of India.
The place is located in the Kumaon region, in the state of Uttahrahand and is named after the Naini Lake. The lake is a clear mountain lake surrounded by the lush greenery of the Himalayas).
After everyone had settled into their cottages and freshened up, they set out for a boat trip on Lake Bhimtal.
A trip to Naintal was planned for the next day. There the Naina-Devi temple, a museum and the local zoo were visited.
The last day of the trip took the teachers to Sattaal Lake, Garuntaal, Ramtal Lake. There they enjoyed the beautiful and admirable surroundings with their mountains during a boat trip. A visit to a tea garden should give teachers an insight into the world of tea. They studied tea plants and were happy to learn more about cultivation. After that they visited the Golu Baba Temple which was located on a high mountain, they all raved about this place.
After another boat trip on the Bhaimtal Lake, which is at an altitude of 1370 meters and has a small island in the middle, the impressive dam was also visited.
On 06.06. In 2022, all participants left for Bhadohi after breakfast. At 8:15 am the next morning, everyone arrived in Bhadohi exhausted but happy.
The teachers would like to thank CARE & FAIR for this successful excursion.
Together we are strong…
As one of the leading companies in the European carpet online trade, benuta is aware of its responsibility in the industry.
Therefore, as a member of CARE & FAIR, benuta supports measures and projects through which illegal child labor in
carpet production is to be successively restricted and abolished. Child labor is still a big problem, especially where there
are no school training opportunities: The schools are either poorly equipped or they cannot take in enough children due
to a lack of capacity. With the construction of a new school building in Mowaiya, India, benuta, together with CARE & FAIR,
wants to take another important step in the fight against child labor in the carpet industry and thus enable the local children
to have a self-determined and secure future.
In November 2022, benuta employees were on site and watched the progress of the construction.
In the spring of 2023 there will be 3 classes with about 100 students enrolled.
We briefly introduce our new members at CARE & FAIR.
For the 25th anniversary of Care & Fair, Carpet! Magazine introduces some of the organisation’s important supporters and donors to our readers. This time we talk to Bas Hartman, Buyer at the Dutch home furnishings discount chain Kwantum (Home Fashion Group) with over 100 stores in the Netherlands and Belgium. Kwantum has been a member of Care & Fair since 1999.
Carpet! Magazine:
At what points in your business does Corporate Social Responsibility come into the picture?
Bas Hartman:
In general we at Kwantum realise that we are part of society and we therefore have the responsibility to act as such. We are focussing more and more on how we can lower our footprint by for example minimising the use of plastic packaging of our products. We only work with rug vendors who are members of Care & Fair, and our products are produced under the right social circumstances, which we make certain by working with vendors who comply with internationally acknowledged social compliance standards (BSCI, Sedex or SA8000); we think that this is very important.
Carpet! Magazine:
You have a long-term cooperation with the aid organisation Care & Fair. What convinced you to support this organisation?
Bas Hartman:
Many years ago, even before my time (I have worked with Kwantum since 2016), when we started to import directly from India, we already noticed the importance of supporting the weavers’ families with good healthcare and education. It only takes us a little effort, and we benefit from the direct import, so we give them some support back as a thank you.
Carpet! Magazine:
In what ways have you been supporting Care & Fair, and how has the cooperation influenced your business?
Bas Hartman:
We donate a certain percentage of the annual amount we spend on buying rugs to Care & Fair – not to a special project, but we trust Care & Fair to allocate the funds wherever needed. All our rug vendors must be members of Care & Fair, too, and also donate a certain percentage of their annual export value to Care & Fair. We use Care & Fair stickers on the backs of all our rugs to inform our customers about the good work of the Care and Fair foundation.
For the 25th anniversary of Care & Fair, Carpet! Magazine introduces some of the organisation’s important supporters and donors to our readers. This time we talk to Jack Simantob, co-owner of wholesaler Art Resources and the driving force behind the New York Rug Show. Art Resources, based in Los Angeles and New Jersey, has been a member of Care & Fair for many years.
Carpet! Magazine:
Art Resources imports handknotted rugs from various countries of origin. At what points in your business does Corporate Social Responsibility come into the picture?
Jack Simantob:
Most of our original suppliers were from Pakistan, and that is why we started supporting projects there. Since we at Art Resources are benefitting directly and making a living of the weavers’ work we wanted to give something back. I travel there two or three times a year on business, and I am also very interested in the working and living conditions of the weavers and their families. Everything you do for the industry you do from the roots – that is my firm belief.
Carpet! Magazine:
You have a long-term cooperation with the aid organisation Care & Fair. What convinced you to support this organisation?
Jack Simantob:
The reason we chose Care & Fair over other organisations was that an extremely high percentage of the funds go directly to the beneficiaries, whereas very little money goes into marketing or administration. The organisation is run by wonderful people in Germany and in the countries of origin: I would like to thank both Peter Fliegner and Volker Heinrich for their tireless efforts in advancing this great cause. In Pakistan, Mr. Shahid Hassan Sheikh of Lahore Carpet actually does the main work pro bono. In comparison to that, it is easy for us to write a cheque – but at the same time very effective.
Carpet! Magazine:
In what ways have you been supporting Care & Fair, and how has the cooperation influenced your business?
Jack Simantob:
We started by supporting schools in Pakistan. It was essential to me that their education was non-religious, so we took a close look at the projects and found that it was. On top of that, pupils were achieving great results. I took part in a graduation ceremony once, which was very touching. You get to see how those young people also improve their parents’ lives, so the small efforts we make grow into something much bigger.
The fact that we are Care & Fair partners does not directly benefit us as wholesalers. However, our retailers can definitely benefit from the label if they explain to their customers just how great an organisation it is – which is a good selling point.