Hla Day Myanmar

Pann Nann Ein, meaning ‘Creative Royal Home,’ is a social enterprise. Their aim is to provide safe, dignified work for people with disabilities through production and sales of high-quality handmade items.

They have been working to establish sustainable livelihoods for people with disabilities for over 10 years now and, despite recent turbulent times in Myanmar, they’ve been able to continue to give regular work to 17 adults.

“Our artisans have varying disabilities,” says Hnin Phyu Kaung, the co-founder of Pann Nann Ein. “Quite a few of our group are hearing impaired and so we enjoy learning to communicate together in Burmese sign language. In this way the workplace is inclusive to everyone!”

Their workshop in downtown Yangon is where the group meets weekly to produce products, solve technical problems and give support. They also prepare the work assignments for each member to do in their homes. For example, their screen-printed products are printed in the workshop but, they are finished at home by the sewing team.

One of PNE’s core values is to celebrate Myanmar culture and design in their products. From screen print designs to the beautiful textiles sourced locally, all their products reflect the rich diversity of Myanmar’s peoples.

As a social enterprise, PNE gives fair work prices to their artisans, and puts all profit back into the business. This means that they are able to support their artisans with health, education and daily living needs. Ensuring that the needs of the group members and their families are taken into account and that they are supported and feel nurtured is a responsibility that takes up much of the PNE team’s time. However, it remains a core value of PNE and is key to their success.

Looking to the future PNE have also started a small work in the Northwest with another small group of persons with disabilities, with the same aim of enabling safe, dignified work to people with disabilities affected by increasingly challenging circumstances.