Abba House in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Abba House Foundation is home to boys, aged 8 to 22, who have been trafficked in downtown Chiang Mai, Thailand. Left homeless and hungry, they are forced to sell their bodies for a bowl of rice. At times they are beaten up and tortured; some have HIV, few can even read or write.

Abba House teaches these young men life skills such as construction, motorcycle repair, and jewelry making for half the day. The rest of the day they have Bible School education, Music and English.

Abba House Foundationhas found that some of these street boys and men have recently been released from various prisons, finding themselves deserted. They walk five miles to the tourist scenes to try and find work but find HIV instead. Abba House has recently built a half-way house called the Freedom Christian Center, to offer shelter, life skills, a 2 year program of Christian life foundations and then job placement.

Abba House Foundation also reaches out to girls, ages 8 to 22, who are at risk of being lured into the sex industry of Asia. Some are orphaned, others are daughters of working prostitutes, most have been raped, abandoned and are unwanted. Once at risk of falling into a life of forced prostitution, they are now safe in the care of Abba House. These children are given renewed hope, their lives forever changed through love, respect and education. They go to several different school systems in Chiang Mai depending on their needs.

It is hard to even begin to imagine the horrors that these young boys and girls have had to endure. We were thrilled to learn about Abba House, because while so many ministries we have found are reaching out to help the women in Thailand, no one is tackling the tough job of working with male survivors. We are truly honored to sell the beautiful jewelry the boys are making, and to share the story of Abba House.

Tavi's Story

Tavi is a widow. Her husband died a few years ago and then her daughter. Both died from AIDS. She often wonders if her other children – an older son and a younger daughter, will also one day succumb to the dreaded disease. Tavi, herself, is HIV positive. Since the death of her husband, Tavi has fought a constant battle to earn enough money to support her remaining family. But even the cost of food and school uniforms have left little margin. Often times she cannot even afford the cost of transportation to the clinic to obtain anti-retroviral medicines she desperately needs to prolong her life.

Home has always been a small house on stilts. It is simple, without electricity, void of running water, and unprotected – easily accessible to potential thieves to steal anything left unguarded.

Clinging to the love she feels for her family, Tavi was compelled to find a way to make a better life- to provide food, shelter, and schooling for her family. She was driven daily to give her children an opportunity to create a better future. Tavi was determined to find hope.

In 2009, a team from the Center for Global Impact visited Cambodia, met Tavi and listened to her story. Heartbroken by the tragic story, and moved by her resilient spirit, the team began the process of seeking out ways to help Tavi and others plagued by hardship. More than giving charity, the CGI team wanted to empower the poor so that they could create a better future and break the cycle of generational poverty that put these women and their families at-risk. The result was the creation of the byTavi vocational training program.

The women work Monday through Friday, with occasional training sessions on Saturday mornings. Each woman works at her own pace and is compensated based on production- giving them the freedom to determine how many pieces they need to make to provide for their families. On average, each woman earns between US$80 and US$120 a month - four times above the poverty line in Cambodia. CGI encourages the women to balance their lives between work, family, church and friends.

Tavi is a strong woman. She now consistently receives her medication, her children are in school, she is a mentor in the byTavi program, she is actively involved in church, and she is remarried. She is a happy woman with a bright future for her and her children. She told her story and has changed her life, and the lives of those like her, because she decided to do something to make a difference.

With your support, women like Tavi are given the opportunity to provide for their families and live a life of hope in a part of the world that is notorious for the atrocities committed against the poor. When you purchase an item from byTavi you get much more than a great, fashionable product. You are actually empowering the poor by providing a real market for their products. byTavi is more than a fashion statement. It is a statement about the value of every life.

Beautiful Fair Trade Cuffs from India :-D

You definitely won't want to miss this amazing new line of jewelry we are carrying, from New Delhi, India! Our newest partnership is with Handmade Expressions, a for-profit company based in Texas, whose goal is to promote economic and social well-being in the world by selling Fair Trade products and promoting the cause. Believing that economic sustainability and social empowerment are the keys for community development, they partner with disadvantaged artisan communities in India, providing them with sustainable employment and fair wages to help improve their economic and social standings.

They carry an amazing array of products, and once we get into a storefront (Lord willing!!) we fully intend to display every single one! But for now, we will be content to carry these beautiful jewelry pieces. Everything is absolutely gorgeous, well made and reasonably priced! The cuffs, bracelets, earrings and rings range in price from $8 to $14, and we are seeing similar products sold elsewhere for TWICE as much!

While not made by survivors of human trafficking like many of the items we carry, the sale of these pieces still affects the issue of slavery, primarily on the prevention side of things. Extreme poverty and the lack of job opportunities are some of the things that make a woman vulnerable to trafficking in the first place.

For more information about Fair Trade and the difference it makes, you can read my recent blog: http://bethechange-reegan.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-fair-trade.html

Introducing Nomi Network!

We have been carrying Nomi Network products for several months now, and figured it was about time to tell you about them! Creating a partnership between the fashion industry and cause-driven, well-designed merchandise that is made by at-risk women and survivors of exploitation, Nomi Network provides these women with fair, sustainable employment opportunities!

Made in Cambodia out of colorful, recycled rice bag fabrics, Nomi products will remind you of the totes & purses made by the women at Hagar & StopStart. We currently carry just 2 items in their lines, and I am certain that you will love both of them as much as I do.

My favorite is a larger sized organizer wallet, with enough room for everything! Complete with several zippered compartments, interior pockets, a pen holder, credit card holders & a clear ID window, you couldn't find a more wonderful wallet! (see photo above) The interior is also branded with the Nomi Network’s "Buy Her Bag Not Her Body" signature label.

We are also thrilled to carry their signature slogan tote, with "Buy her Bag not her Body" prominently printed, along with the story of Nomi. The bag can be folded and zipped away in the outside pouch, and easily tossed into your car, suitcase or purse, so you have it whenever you need an extra tote!

Both priced at $30, and available in a rainbow of beautiful colors, they are sure to make the perfect Christmas gift! And these products don't just look good, they DO good! Nomi reinvests 100% of the profits back into training & career development programs for women.

Let me know if you are interested in seeing (or getting) one! And you can learn more about Nomi Network by visiting www.nominetwork.org

You Matter!

One of the most incredible & life changing parts of our recent trip to India was the time we spent with Harvest India, in the southern state of Andrah Pradesh. The reason for my initial contact with them was because one of the sewing centers for the Princess Project is on their campus which is located near Tenali. At that time I had no idea how enormous & how varied their work really is, and how deeply I would be affected by my time with Harvest.

We learned and experienced so many things while staying with them, especially about the caste system of India. Their work touches the lives of the poor, the untouchables, the homeless, the eldery, those trapped in prostitution, lepers & gypsies, and SO many orphaned children, who are the promise of a better tomorrow in India. I could hardly believe how many lives are affected & changed by Harvest India's amazing staff & all the projects they are involved in!

Please take a few minutes to watch a beautiful video about Harvest, at http://vimeo.com/24263722 This short film so perfectly shows the message that is communicated by everything that Harvest India does... each act of love towards the leper, the homeless, the elderly, those cast aside as worthless says one amazing thing... "You Matter!!"

That is a message that SO MANY people in India need desperately to hear.

Why Fair Trade??

5 years ago, all I knew about purchasing Fair Trade was that it most likely meant spending more money for something.

It is a subject that you hear about more & more these days, however I find that few people have a real understanding of what exactly Fair Trade means. So I thought I would share some thoughts and ideas on the issue as well as how it relates to fighting human trafficking.

According to Handmade Expressions, "Fair Trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency, and respect. This system of exchange seeks to create greater equity and partnership in the international trading system." So what does this mean for us as consumers? And why should we purchase Fair Trade?

Every time we choose to purchase a fair trade item, we are supporting a just and sustainable global economic system. Each purchase made is a step towards the eradication of global poverty. And contrary to what I used to believe, purchasing fair trade does not necessarily mean spending more money for something. Since fair trade organizations work directly with producers, this means they are cutting out exploitative middlemen. This keeps products more affordable for consumers and returns a greater percentage of the price to the producers.

It is easy to wonder if purchasing Fair Trade really makes a difference, and the answer is "Definitely!"

Why purchase Fair Trade?? Because~

~It offers respect for the hard work of talented people.

~It provides a sustainable living for developing communities.

~It supports conservation of the environment

~It empowers women and minorities.

~Fair Trade fights forced labor, slavery and child labor!!

If a young woman in India is able to earn a fair wage sewing or making local handicrafts, she is no longer vulnerable to human trafficking.

If an impoverished parent in Cambodia is able to earn a fair wage, selling one daughter to a brothel owner in order to feed the rest is no longer the only option.

Fair Trade businesses can open up opportunities and creates choices for women, where once prostitution may have been the only option they could see.

So, how can we help this movement to grow?

~We can help to educate our friends and family about the benefits of buying Fair Trade items.

~We can begin to make more educated choices about how & where we spend our money.

~We can demand Fair Trade products at the places we shop.

We often don't realize the power we have here in the US as consumers to change the world, simply by changing the way we spend our money. Choosing to purchase Fair Trade & Made by Survivor products is a simple, yet powerful way we can make a significant difference in our world!

New PUNJAMMIES!!

So, is it my imagination, or are IPP's PUNJAMMIES just getting better & better??!!

Every time I decide I have enough, they release a few new designs and I need to buy another pair (or two)!

I realize that some of my affection for them is a result of our time spent at IPP's sewing center in Andrah Pradesh, India. I will forever treasure my memories of the precious women who sew them, our afternoon of henna tattoos, the girl's beautiful smiles, the flowers in their long, black hair & their lovely saris...

Yes, I would probably still love my PUNJAMMIES even if they weren't as wonderful as they are, simply because of the amazing story behind them. And my desire to be a part of the story of change & HOPE that is being written by the International Princess Project! But the reality is, they are THE most beautiful & comfortable pants I have ever owned & I get compliments on them wherever I go. (oh, did I forget to mention that I do NOT where mine as pajamas?? ;-)

We have lots of styles & colors, in every size. So let me know if you want to become part of the story too! :)

Introducing Bead for Life!

I am so excited to tell you about our newest partner, Bead for Life.

Bead for Life is a non-profit based out of Colorado, working to change the lives of hundreds of women in Northern Uganda. And from what we can tell, they are doing an amazing job at it!

The women make gorgeous, handcrafted paper beads from recycled paper and then turn them into necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Because the women use recycled colorful paper, what was once trash becomes beauty, money, food, and HOPE!

Creating businesses and jobs through entrepreneurial development is a more sustainable approach to poverty eradication than simply providing aid. Rather than becoming dependent on handouts from abroad, the women build their skills and long-term capacities through meaningful, creative work.

In addition to providing a fair trade price which allows the beaders to meet their daily economic needs, Bead for Life also sponsors projects in health, vocational training for impoverished youth, affordable housing, and business development.

Investing 100% of their net profits in community development projects, Bead for Life is part of an international grassroots movement to overcome extreme poverty!

You can learn more about them at their website, www.beadforlife.org.

Our inventory is constantly changing, but we intend to always have an assortment of these beautiful, colorful pieces available. Feel free to contact me if you want to see what is currently available!

Thistle Farms

So, it has been WAY too long since I posted on here. Our trip to India has come and gone, with not a single word about it. And we have added what seems like a zillion new products that you need to hear about. There is so much to write that it seems overwhelming, but "the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step" right? So...

I will begin by telling you about Thistle Farms, an amazing social enterprise near Nashville for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and addiction. By hand the women create natural bath and body care products, which smell and feel absolutely fabulous!

We look forward to displaying everything at our upcoming events and are absolutely CERTAIN you will love these products as much as we do. And I am already planning on giving several things to women on my Christmas list this year.

Every purchase directly benefits the women of Thistle Farms and we are so proud to have partnered with them!

And like Thistle Farms, "we believe that love is the most powerful force for change in the world."