Empowering some of China’s most impoverished communities

At Shokay, we aim to impact the lives of marginalized communties oppressed by poverty. By introducing luxury yak down to the global market, we hope to create a market for yak fiber, thus increasing the value of the raw fiber to provide herders with long-term employment and a greater sustainable income.

Shokay’s development impact is four-fold:

1) Direct Income Generation: by sourcing the raw yak fiber directly from the nomadic herders, herders will earn a greater sustainable income. We also provide long term employment and income generation to the team of hand-knitters who create our finished products.

2) Preserve Local Culture: by increasing the economic value of yak rearing, a traditional skill, local communities will face less pressure to migrate into the cities in search of greater employment opportunities. This provides them with the choice of preserving their traditional way of life and instills a pride in their own culture, which is particularly important for marginalized ethnic communities

3) Promote Sustainable Usage of the Environment: purchasing raw fiber is a zero pollution and will help prevent problems such as overgrazing. The raw fiber is naturally shed once a year, preserving the yaks indigenous to the Himalayan region

4) Community development Work: We have conducted a series of in-depth household surveys to better identify the areas of greatest need in the various villages where we work. As Shokay grows, profits will be reinvested back into these communities to aid in the areas identified.

We currently work with 2600 people from the Hei Ma He Village of Qinghai Province in Western China, providing a sustainable source of employment and income to these herders. By setting up fiber cooperatives in each sub-village, it is our goal to help grow each eco-system to provide a safe and transparent vehicle for addressing local development. 

Shokay also works with 50+ hand knitters in Chong Ming Island off of Shanghai to bring our collection of home, kids, and accessories to fruition. We help to build their skill-set in a safe and healthy work environment, rewarding them fairly for their beautiful knitting talents.

As Shokay grows, so does our ability to help empower some of China’s most impoverished communities. Thank you for supporting us

Click on one of the links below to learn more about the Shokay communities: