Embroiderer "Sister Yi" helps local women become wealthy

Liangshan Township of Yuanmou County is mainly inhabited by the Yi ethnic minority. There, the tradition of Yi embroidery has been passed down to today. Yu Jincui began to learn this traditional handicraft from her mother and grandmother when she was eight years old. Now she is a locally well-known embroiderer.

In 2007, Yu founded the Yi Sister Embroidery Association, together with 12 other embroiderers. She distributed patterned textile to other embroiderers, bought the embroidered pieces at 20-30 RMB (2.8-4.2 U.S. dollar) per piece and sold them to customers. In the first year she sold 246 pieces of embroidery and earned 60,000 RMB (8,534 U.S. dollar). Other embroiderers also increased their income.

In 2015, with the support of the local government, Yu founded the Yi Sister Embroidery Company Inc. and started to sell the products to domestic and foreign markets. The company established a business model integrating creative planning, product development, skills training and marketing.

As the company grew, Yu went on to establish the Yi embroidery cooperative, to connect the company, the association and the farmers. In 2018, the company was employing 300 local women, selling more than 10,000 pieces of embroidery and bringing in sales worth more than three million RMB (426,700 U.S. dollar). The embroidery business has lifted many local women out of poverty, and they earn more than 2,000 RMB every month.    

Embroiderer Sister Yi helps local women become wealthy

Liangshan Township of Yuanmou County is mainly inhabited by the Yi ethnic minority. There, the tradition of Yi embroidery has been passed down to today. Yu Jincui began to learn this traditional handicraft from her mother and grandmother when she was eight years old. Now she is a locally well-known embroiderer. In 2007, Yu founded the Yi Sister Embroidery Association, together with 12 other embroiderers. She distributed patterned textile to other embroiderers, bought the embroidered pieces at 20-30 RMB (2.8-4.2 U.S. dollar) per piece and sold them to customers. In the first year she sold 246 pieces of embroidery and earned 60,000 RMB (8,534 U.S. dollar). Other embroiderers also increased their income. In 2015, with the support of the local government, Yu founded the Yi Sister Embroidery Company Inc. and started to sell the products to domestic and foreign markets. The company established a business model integrating creative planning, product development, skills training and marketing. As the company grew, Yu went on to establish the Yi embroidery cooperative, to connect the company, the association and the farmers. In 2018, the company was employing 300 local women, selling more than 10,000 pieces of embroidery and bringing in sales worth more than three million RMB (426,700 U.S. dollar). The embroidery business has lifted many local women out of poverty, and they earn more than 2,000 RMB every month.