Hello ,

Greetings from Kolkata, India. Where I am visiting one of our oldest suppliers, it is Diwali the festival of lights. The biggest festival of the year, it's the Indian Christmas, with heaps of traditions attached, not least setting off firecrackers.

Last week I was telling you about fake news and the rather posh trade show in Greater Noida near Delhi. You can read about it here.

Since then I have spent a couple of days in a madly congested central Delhi catching up with some other suppliers and then caught the evening flight down to Kolkata.

Regular readers will know that Mr Chatterjee makes our jute and cotton bags. And perhaps more importantly he also looks after the children's home we adopted about three years ago.
When we found Mr Kundo and his wife bravely trying to care for 25 opened kids, all he wanted was the roof fixed because in monsoon time no inch of the house was dry. The kids were sullen and bedraggled, but at least they had a home.
So we fixed the roof, then running water, then proper toilet and kitchen. Bit by bit Chatterjee has organised lots of things.

18 months ago we decided to employ an English teacher two hours a day after school. On my last visit in February, the English spoken was hesitant and broken and I worried that the English lessons were maybe not working. At the time Mr Chatterjee gave them all a speech about how all the best jobs require the ability to speak English, and that speaking English was the key to a successful life.

We arrived at the home in the evening just as the sun was setting. The house is at the end of a lane and borders a lake. I could see across the lake before we arrived, all the kids lined up in Sunday best waiting for us.Chatterjee said they were very excited.

Since the last visit, we have added a paved outdoor terrace, with a veranda to shelter from the rain. New bikes neatly lined up (so they can get to school more easy), and a more substantial boundary wall. A lot of improvements and the kids have been making a small garden some plants were growing along the edge of the plot.

Mr Kundo greeted us and explained they had been working on a presentation. We were asked to sit down, me, Chatterjee and Ravi (Chatterjee's business partner) then in pairs the children came and recited poetry, gave small speeches, (I learned about Diwali), and some of them asked us questions and engaged us in conversation. They were not perfect, but speaking with a perfect accent all of them, and with a huge passion. The youngest is about six to the oldest at fifteen, they all did a turn. I could see our English teacher, a young lady called Rishika, was grinning from ear to ear. Chatterjee and Ravi were as gobsmacked as me, we had no idea they had progressed so much.

So a little money from AW and a huge effort from Mr Chatterjee, has changed the lives of these otherwise homeless kids beyond recognition. Mr & Mrs Kundo are the proud parents of a huge happy family.
Diwali means different things to different people, but the lights whether it be firecrackers, oil lamps, a Chinese lantern, or brash LED's.. the lights, those lights always symbolise hope. And the light in the eyes of these kids.. well it made my Diwali one I'll never forget.

Thanks for your support, we always appreciate your business. You are part of what happens at AW.

So in honour of this, we have some Auspicious Diwali Deals to light up your sales below.

Take care - and HAPPY DIWALI from India!

David

Konjak sponges NEW design.The Konjac Sponge has been used in Japan first as a bath sponge for newborn babies for more than 100 years because of its soft texture. Due to the popularity the Konjac Sponge has been on the rise as facial cleansing and bath sponge in China, Southeast Asia and Europe.

A lovely designed Handbag Mirrors with flowers, angels and pretty ornate scrolling and beautiful carvings.They have locking system and two mirrors one on the top and one on the bottom part with a zooming effect. Really stunning and shabby chic look.

Keep fidgety hands busy with this quality range of wholesale metal fidget spinners. It’s easy to see why Fidget Spinners are so entertaining with their long smooth spinning and high speed guaranteed. Thanks to the high-quality metal, you can keep spinning non-stop for hours without any hassle.

Ceramic Home Oil burnersare great for use with Fragrance Oils and Wax Melts. It also makes a very attractive decoration in any room, due to the beautiful colourful ceramic.

This collection of Cool Designs Oil Burners makes a great gift idea for any lover of eastern mysticism. This range is Ideal for burning fragrance oils, simmering granules, Wax Melts and also makes an attractive ornament for a side or mantelpiece in any room

Soap Flowers Bouquets Just add a one or two roses to your warm bath, relax and watch the cute flowers dissolve right before your very eyes. You will surely enjoy the colourful water and great scent. It leaves your skin soft, silky and smelling wonderfully fresh.

Order today. These Bath Flowers are a stunning gift, sure to delight.

Large to mini, our frames are a perfect fit for a corner or a feature wall. Natural Jute, French, Floral or Mozart theme, you are sure to find a lovely design in our wide collection available wholesale.

These wooden Christmas light up decorations consist of little windows, stars and letters out of which shine the battery operated LED lights from within, creating a really homely ambience wherever your customers decide to hang them.

Order today to create lovely warm nights in your customer's homes.