After serious accident: Young employee takes heart

Ethletic paid €3,248 to workers welfare society in March.
Ethletic is paying $1 per sold pair of shoes to the Workers Welfare Society.

What might be “peanuts” for us, may have a huge impact in Pakistan

A great misfortune, an injured arm which can’t get healed – and a turning point for a worth living future: This is the story of Wasif Usman. The 26-year-old is working in our manufactury in Sialkot producing Ethletic sneakers together with his team. Thanks to the Workers Welfare Society, the worst could be averted and Wasif is even able to continue his job.

Some months ago, the city bus Wasif has been a passenger of got involved in an accident – with serious consequences for Wasif Usman. He got heavily injured. As an employee of Talon Sports – our producer in Pakistan – Wasif called the Talon Fairtrade Workers Welfare Society asking for help.

The Welfare Society acted fast, got the 26-year-old to the Allam Iqbal Memorial hospital and paid the whole treatment. Unfortunately, even the hospital known for its excellent emergency department was unable to save Wasif’s injured arm – an amputation was unavoidable.

After the operation wound healed well, Wasif Usman approached the Workers Welfare Society again, asking for bearing the costs of a prosthetic arm. They did and paid 35,000 Pakistani rupee – converted 250 Dollar.

250 Dollar for the Welfare Society’s account – equate to 250 sold pairs Ethletic sneakers. Since Ethletic is paying one US-Doller to the Welfare Society for each sold pair of sneakers.

This Dollar does not hurt us, but the premium payments may have a huge impact in Pakistan. Due to the great difference in living costs, 250 Dollar in Pakistan is equal to 2,500 Euro in West European countries.

Education gets subsidised primarily

In April nearly 7,000 Dollar had been spent by the Welfare Society to improve the working and living conditions of employees, their families, and disadvantaged people in Sialkot.

Often the medical expenses are the highest, but in April most got spent on the NGO’s education program. More than 4,600 Dollar were invested. We may well be curious about the upcoming report in May, in which we’ll learn how the money was used.

As always, thank you so much for supporting Ethletic and Fair Trade!

 


Edited by Sandra Laffrenzen