The DECE Story
Started with a ball of wool in 2009. Now made by a community.
Built in Romania. Made by hand. Every DECE product is handmade by skilled craftspeople in Romania - full grain leather, re-purposed materials, hand-crocheted wool. The craftsmanship is the point. The community behind it is the reason.
It began in 2009 with a ball of wool and a crocheting needle in a Roma community in North West Romania where the Hungarian plain meets the Zarand mountains.
As we worked alongside the poor, listening to the stories of their lives, we were provoked by one question: How can we help to restore hope and empower people living in poor communities? DECE (which means “WHY?” in Romanian) became our bridge to helping people escape from cycles of generational poverty, developing skills and potential in individuals, restoring dignity and empowering people to provide for their families.
DECE is part of a holistic community development program developed over many years of working alongside families living in very difficult circumstances. Many families live in small mud-brick houses with earth floors and no running water or drainage and struggle through winters where the temperature can go down to -25 Celsius (-13 Fahrenheit).
Medication is often too expensive to afford and many families struggle to provide simple necessities like shoes, basic clothing and food.
The first DECE product was a simple crochet hat. Crocheting needs little equipment and enabled our employees, primarily women at the time, to work from home, which meant that they could build their work schedule around caring for their families. In 2013 DECE began to produce simple leather products that created work opportunities for men in the community and have become a significant part of the DECE story.
Our mission is to produce the highest quality handmade products using the best possible materials - and we are guaranteed members of the WORLD FAIR TRADE ORGANISATION
.jpg)
.jpg)
Frequently asked Questions
What does "DECE" mean?
DECE means "why" in Romanian.
How did DECE start?
DECE began in 2009 with a ball of wool and a crochet needle, working alongside a Roma community in North West Romania where the Hungarian plain meets the Zarand mountains. The first product was a simple crochet hat, made from home so women could work around caring for their families.
When did DECE start making leather goods?
In 2013, DECE began producing leather products, creating work opportunities for men in the community alongside the existing crochet work for women.
Who makes DECE products?
Skilled artisans in a Roma community in Romania, many of whom face generational poverty, limited access to healthcare, and inadequate housing. DECE provides dignified employment as a path out of that cycle.