Kravan House is a social enterprise based in Phnom Penh. Approximately 60% of the Kravan House artisans suffer from physical disabilities, mainly caused by land mines or polio. The founder of Kravan House, Mrs. Hok Thanan, was born with a physical disability herself, and the stigma she has experienced, lead her to start the business.
In Khmer, Kravan means blossom, and the name of the brand symbolizes the desire to empower physically disabled, but highly skilled, artisans in Cambodia, providing them with a platform to showcase their products. The artisans receive a fair payment, which enables them to thrive and actively contribute to the community, while protecting a traditional craft from extinction.
Kravan House is mainly known for beautiful, handwoven, tie-dyed, silk products, and the artisans can choose to work from home, in small, community-based groups, or in the Kravan House workshop. Before the pandemic, Hok Thanan and Kravan House were employing as much as 50-70 artisans, skilled in weaving, dyeing and sewing, but during the pandemic, this number was drastically reduced and the workshop was forced to close for a long period. Hok Thanan is still in the process of rebuilding her business, which has the potential to become one of the most impactful businesses in Cambodia, supporting a vulnerable, and often neglected, group of people.
