Our story

The story of Paw Po


The business of Paw Po, meaning ‘little flower’ in Karen, is truly a labour of love. Founded by Nhill Learning Centre with a group of Karen women drawn from the refugee camps on the Myanmar-Thai border, Paw Po has breathed new life into a closed-up shop in the main street of Nhill.

Located half-way between Melbourne and Adelaide, on the Western Highway, Nhill has become a centre of re-settlement for Karen people, who now make up about 10 per cent of the population, or around 200 people in all. Most began their Australian lives in the Melbourne suburb of Werribee, before settling in the town in 2010. The move was initiated following the employment of about five Karen at Nhill’s Luv-a-Duck factory, which was seeking to expand its workforce at the time.

In partnership with migrant settlement group AMES Australia, Luv-a-Duck approached the Karen in Werribee to gauge interest in the positions. A few weeks later, in January 2010, a busload of Karen visited Nhill for the first time. A fortnight later, the first families arrived.

Now, the main street is full of chatter as the women weave, sew and work on their ever-expanding, handcrafted range.

How did Paw Po begin?

Having arrived in Nhill with little or no English, the Karen women worked closely with the Nhill Learning Centre to expand their language and lifestyle skills. Sewing classes were included in a job-ready program, which led to the  women, aged between 18 and 70,  working with their own traditional fabrics.

Although most in the group had never sewn before, the women steadily gained confidence and competency with the expert help of the Program’s Co-ordinator and a core group of dedicated volunteer seamstresses. Each participant worked with a volunteer on a one-to-one basis to develop their proficiency, and underwent testing to be issued with a certificate for completion of basic machine skills.

The Karen women began by sourcing their fabric from refugee camps on the Thai-Myanmar border, but are now weaving more and more of their own textiles using traditional looms. Aware of the potentially limited market for purely conventional products, the women have been keen to create a range that recognises the fusion of traditional and contemporary culture.

As the business develops, so do the Karen women. Learning to relate to people, monitor finances, implement pricing and advertise effectively is central to their day-to-day lives.

The Federal Government and the Nhill Learning Centre each contributed $10,000 to the Paw Po shop to turn the dream of creating a business into reality.

Our people

The Karen women bring their Burmese culture and talents to the Wimmera for you to experience and enjoy. Each with their own story to share, we invite you to discover their passion for Paw Po.
Read the Karen women stories...
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