About Us
Mum and me
Loktaa - pronounced Lock-Tah, is a family run business operating from Sydney Australia. It's a 2-man show, with my mum Geeta, handling most of the logistics and me Supriya, on everything else. Between being a busy grandma, a mum and a full time IT professional, we feel running this business is an escape from the daily mundane - our creative outlet. We absolutely love our Nepalese handmade paper and our beautifully crafted stationery. It brings us immense gratification knowing how much our customers love them. And of course, the utmost joy of being able to fund education for girls in Nepal - a cause that is close to our heart.
Why Nepal?
Well, besides the fact that we have Nepalese roots, lets go over some facts around Education and Literacy in Nepal. Did you know that in Nepal,
- Almost half of adults are illiterate
- 39.6 percent of students drop out before graduating from primary school
- about 1/3 of the population aged 5-14 don't go to school - they work
The multiple earthquakes that hit Nepal in 2015 have not been kind either. It resulted in the destruction of thousands of schools in 14 districts displacing 1 million students from their school.
The cultural/social norms of the country has an even deeper impact on education of girls with missed opportunities to study right from the start or being pressured to drop out of the education system after being married. Approximately 40% of girls are married before turning 18.
More Than Just Paper
The paper used in this product is made from the bark of the Loktaa plant that grows high up in the Himalayan region of Nepal. The plant is sustainably harvested and handcrafted into paper following centuries old technique by local Nepalese artisans and ultimately producing these beautiful products. Besides being eco-friendly (and pretty!),these products bring considerable economic sustainability to rural Nepalese community.
It is indeed more than “just paper”.