2010 ARCHIVE - Unloading Soapstone

As a product line, our carved soapstone from Kenya is one of our longest lasting products, with the possible exception of Bamboo Windchimes. Though it started off as carved figures, dishes and boxes, the current bestselling soapstone line is assorted soapstone hearts. As you can imagine, a container delivery of soapstone to the warehouse is very heavy back breaking work, and the ADK, for many reasons does not always look forward to them. A soapstone delivery is extremely hard work to process.

2004 ARCHIVE - ADK Unloading & Processing a Delivery

The ADK, is an acronym for Alaya Dhara Kula, which roughly means a storehouse flow that is a shared collective endeavour. The ADK is where all the goods we've ordered from our suppliers arrives. It then has to be unpacked, palleted and located, before our army of pickers can start picking lines to fulfill our customers orders.

It's hard work, being down the end of a forty foot container, unloading in the hot sticky semi-dark. ADK work requires a lot of physical,emotional and spiritual resilience. Tiredness and boredom can lead to flare ups between individuals. So staying in good open communication is essential.  In many ways the ADK is the most exacting of places in which to make work a spiritual practice, but also the most beneficial.

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