Lauranne here. 👋 Every kantha blanket you see in our shop is made with great care and excellence. We love that they bring beauty, pattern and color into your home. Each one also holds a story of courage that reaches the next generation. The artisan's children are now growing up with safety, schooling and the chance to dream.
If you've found this story and you're new to dignify, you can shop them here.
So much of what we share comes from our side—but today, we want you to hear from our friends at Basha themselves.
We want to introduce you to Helena Sanabam. She is the Director of Operations at Basha, working alongside their team in Bangladesh to ensure women have safe, dignified jobs and their children are cared for. Helena shared with us about the heart behind Basha’s daycare and education programs, and we’re excited for you to hear directly from her.
✨ P.S. Right now, through September 16, 2025 we’re inviting our community to help provide for all 90 children at Basha as they begin their first month back to school. Every blanket purchased plays a part in reaching that goal.
Lauranne: Helena, we're so glad you're here on the blog! Let's give everyone an introduction to who you are...
HS: Hi! My name is Helena Sanabam and I oversee operations alongside our dedicated team on the ground, who work tirelessly to make sure women have safe and dignified jobs and their children are cared for.
I help ensure that the blankets and products our artisans create are made with excellence and support the larger mission of building dignified futures.
We are so grateful for you and your leadership at Basha, Helena. Can you share the heart behind beginning Basha’s daycare and education programs? How has it grown through the years?
HS: We've never believed the Basha women should have to choose between earning a livelihood and ensuring her child is safe, cared for and able to learn.
Many of the women who come to Basha have faced immense hardship. Having daycare and educational support allows them to focus on building stability while knowing their children are nurtured, learning, and dreaming of a future that looks very different from their past.
Over time, what began as a practical need to provide care for the children has grown into a more holistic program.
Today, our daycare supports toddlers through teenagers, with older children going to school and receiving tutoring. We’ve also been able to expand into things like parenting workshops, counseling support, and even caring for children of former artisans who now live in local hostels for education and safety.
“No [mother] should have to choose between earning a livelihood and ensuring her child is safe, cared for, and able to learn.”
It's inspiring to hear how far the program has come! Do you have a story you'd be willing to share with us that’s brought you hope?
HS: One story that encouraged me is about a teenage girl whose mother often struggled with mental illness and was unable to work consistently, which made it difficult to pay for school.
The girl told us that thanks to Friends of Basha, her school fees were covered. That lifted a heavy burden from her mother and gave her the chance to continue her education.
What do you see as the biggest gap Basha is helping to fill for moms and for their kids?
HS: For women, the greatest gap is access to safe, stable and dignifying work. Many of the women at Basha have experienced trafficking, exploitation or prostitution, and because of the stigma attached to their past, they would not have access to stable employment elsewhere.
Basha creates jobs specifically for women at risk or coming out of those situations—giving them the chance to earn a livelihood in an environment that restores dignity and rebuilds confidence.
Without Basha, many children would be left unattended while their mothers worked, drop out of school early or never develop the confidence to see themselves as capable learners. By providing daycare and school support, we are keeping children safe and opening doors to learning and to futures that weren’t imaginable before.
“Basha stands in the space between survival and opportunity—creating dignified jobs for women and making sure their children can dream, learn, and grow.”
What changes do you notice when a family begins to have access to school or daycare?
HS: Mothers are so proud that their children might never face the same hardships they faced.
We believe the cycle of extreme poverty and exploitation is broken, changing not just their lives but future generations as well.
When you think about the kids of Basha, what's your hope for them?
HS: My hope is that they grow up knowing dignity and opportunity belong to them, too—and that they see their mothers’ courage as a foundation to dream bigger.
We hope they step into education, careers, and futures that may have seemed out of reach for their families, experiencing freedom from cycles of abuse and poverty, and becoming young adults who believe they are valuable and capable of contributing to the world.
Thank you for your heart and vision, Helena. We're so glad you could be here. As we wrap our time together, is there anything you’d love to say to our dignify community?
HS: To the dignify community, we want to say thank you. Every kantha you purchase is more than a blanket, it gives a woman confidence, a child education and a family their step toward stability.
What we hope people understand is that the women of Basha are not defined by their past. They are resilient, courageous and determined. And their children are just like children everywhere, playful and mischievous, but carrying stories that need extra care and support.
When you support the women by purchasing a dignify blanket, you are standing alongside women and children as they rebuild their present for better futures.
My thoughts...
As a mother myself, hearing Helena share about the impact each blanket makes for the next generation of children gave me so much gratitude for this community.
These blankets are not just bringing beauty and warmth into our homes but leaving a legacy we can be proud of. They're investing in dignity for women and opening doors for their children to learn and dream.
If you want to go deeper into the story, here are a few links from our blog we think you'll enjoy:
- Who Makes dignify's Kantha Blankets?
- Dignity For All
- What I Learned About Life in a Brothel
- What Is Redemptive Business? A Better Way.
If you’ve been thinking about adding a kantha to your life or gifting one to someone you love, now is a meaningful time to do so.
👉 Shop our kantha blankets and support a child's education
