Promise Bags

Meet Elisha Chowtapalli: a man with heart and vision like few others.

Known to most as ‘Brother Elisha’, comes from a very poor Dalit (Untouchable) caste in India. He has experienced the poverty first-hand, the challenges and discrimination faced by his community.

He first started an orphanage after bringing a single child in off the street to share his family’s 3m x4m home. Then came more children, and a small school in which to educate them, and with both initiatives a need to constantly seek funds from overseas donors.  

What if, Brother Elisha wondered, we could generate income to support our school and home, and therefore have less reliance on others’ philanthropy? And what if we could use our business employ those who so desperately needed a safe, reliable place of work?

From these questions, the Promise Bags vision materialised.

Elisha Chowtapalli began Promise Bags with a simple yet profound vision to make poverty history  through employment in his community, while making high-quality, stylish leather.

With a deep passion for social justice, Elisha Chowtapalli was determined to blend creativity with purpose.

What sets Promise Bags apart is its mission to empower women through employment.

Elisha recognized early on that providing jobs to women, particularly in regions where opportunities are scarce, could be a game-changer. By employing women, Promise Bags not only helps them achieve financial independence but also boosts their confidence and self-worth.