Mai Handcrafts was started by two social workers who were concerned about improving the lives of street children and single mothers in Ho Chi Minh City and ethnic minorities in mountain villages. Building on the belief that social development is intricately tied to economic self-reliance, Mai Handcrafts reaches out to artisans in underserved areas providing marketing and training and returning some of the profits from the sales of handcrafts to fund social work projects.