Hey, friends! I wanted to give you an update on A Beautiful Refuge, our social enterprise project. Things are really starting to move, but each stage is being carefully planned.
Why the Philippines?
My friend Hannah, the brains behind this project, spent six months working with Safe Refuge in the Philippines in 2009. Hannah saw first-hand the work the organization is doing to combat human trafficking. The women who founded Safe Refuge provide medical care, educational support, and aftercare to victims of abuse and trafficking and continue to grow the program to help more and more women.
Why now?
One of the businesses that employed former trafficking victims recently was infiltrated by traffickers who brought some women back into the cycle. While none of the women from Safe Refuge were lured back, the situation highlighted the need for employment that addresses the survivors’ mental and physical safety.
How will you succeed?
Changing the world may sound like a dreamer’s dream, but it’s important to us to do this the right way. The folks setting up the business have experience working with social enterprises and supporting victims of human trafficking. To ensure that our products meet quality standards, we are using a designer to get our ideas up to spec and are conducting consumer surveys to find which products will be successful. We aren’t starting a charity — the goal is a successful, sustainable business that provides jobs for years to come.
Do you believe that good products are good for everyone, from the factory to the checkout line? We want you on our team! Click on the widget in the sidebar or visit our fundraising page to to give. $25 buys us a squeegee for screenprinting, $30 buys us a container of eco-friendly ink, and $1200 buys us a screen printing press!
Thank you so much for your support, my friends! If you want to be a part of the consumer review panel, you can sign up to give feedback here. We can’t do this without you!
