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Thanapara is a rural village in North West Bangladesh on the banks of the Padma (or Ganges) River. During the liberation war 1971, this quiet village was transformed when the opposition army invaded the village and killed over 100 unarmed men. With the destruction of the male heads of households, families in the village faced certain destitution and hopelessness.

With the help of a Swedish relief agency, Thanapara Swallows Development Society was established. The village slowly started to turn things around, and today operates a Fair Trade certified, self-sustaining handicrafts operation that employs over 200 women.