About

A personal message from Shannon Sheedy, Founder

The Dharma Door is my business, but fair trade is my personal dedication. The mission of this company is to support fair trade in the hope of creating sustainable solutions to poverty through trade. 

It is a true calling for me and one that I pursue with passion.

The Dharma Door is strongly committed to the rights of marginalised artisans, particularly women, in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Philippines, and India and any location from which are products are imported.

We honour our commitment by ensuring that fair wages, safe working conditions and human rights are met by those with whom we trade...as well as within our own company. Our goal is to help people everywhere access skills training, education, healthcare and community development as a means of improving their livelihoods with dignity.

We care about the people of the world and Mother Earth, too. We are deeply committed to our eco-friendly policy of sourcing products and conducting business in a way that respects the environment.

The Journey to Dharma

The path that led to the creation of The Dharma Door has been one of dedication, joy, and true enlightenment.

In early 2003, I left my job to embark on a 'soul searching' journey in Asia. After traveling throughout Vietnam and Laos, and living as a volunteer in a village in Nepal, I found myself drawn to India.

When my time in Nepal came to an end, I was keen to continue volunteering and to spend some time within a Tibetan refugee community. What better place than McLeod Ganj, nestled in the Himalayan foothills and home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama!

Soon after my arrival there, I secured a teaching position in a school for adult Tibetan refugees who had never had the benefit of a formal education.  I got an education, too, when I met a group of wonderful tailors who occupied the space below my classroom.

The hard life of these craftspeople touched me on a profound level and I found myself deeply motivated to find a way to help them.  So when I returned to Australia, we brought back a selection of products to share with the Australian market. I was committed to ensuring that the talented men and women who had created them would receive fair compensation for their hard work and perhaps for the first times in their lives, would enjoy the fruits of their labour.

That’s how The Dharma Door was born. With your support, this Door will remain open wide and my dream...as well as the people it benefits...will continue to thrive.