Empowering semi-nomadic women in India's High Himalayas
In August 2015, the Pangong Craft Center officially opened its doors in Phobrang village (altitude 14,650 feet), providing a warm, well-lit space for 60 semi-nomadic women to spin and weave cashmere from the goats they lovingly raise.
The center has now grown to more than 130 members, producing beautiful handspun yarn and other cashmere items. The women are deeply grateful for the opportunity to earn extra income, and a communal space where they can socialize and bring their children.
In support of the United Nations declaring 2025 the "Year of Glaciers' Preservation," we have collaborated with Long Thread Media to sponsor "Cashmere on Ice;" a fiber arts competition bringing awareness to the effects of climate change as glaciers continue melting at a rapid rate—the effects on herders is devastating with some experiencing up to a 50% loss in livestock .
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Our cashmere center is directly impacted by these changes and as a result, there is a contest category specifically designated for cashmere from Ladakh,
The Pangong Craft Center is operated by Keep the Fleece (501c3). All donations are tax-deductible. It is easy to donate using your credit card or PayPal. If you would like to send a check, please make it out to: Cashmere Craft Center and mail to: Wild Fibers , PO 574 Davis Rd., Union, ME 04862
If you should have any questions, please contact us directly: 207-756-3512
CASHMERE YARN AND CLOUD
"Perfectly Twisted"
Directed by Stanzin Dorjai-Gya
Through personal interviews and sweeping vistas of the High Himalayas, the award-winning director Stanzin Dorjai-Gya captures the true essence of the Pangong Craft Center and the role it plays in changing the members' lives.
Directed by Stanzin Dorjai-Gya
Winner of more than 20 international awards, including Grand Prize at Banff International Film Festival, The Shepherdess of the Glaciers is both spellbinding and evocative. Filmed over four years, Stanzin Dorjai follows his sister, one of the last shepherdesses in the High Himalayas as she struggles to keep both herself and her flock safe from predators. Her sole companion is a transistor radio.
The Shepherdess of the Glaciers
Perfectly Twisted
