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The conversation around philanthropy is shifting as more and more people are beginning to realize the power of their pocketbooks, and with this purchasing power comes the responsibility of deciding how we will respond to the global economy.
Will we be careless consumers, who make uninformed purchasing decisions? Or will we be careful consumers, who develop a connection with the person behind the product? When we choose to be conscious consumers, we contribute to the new story.
This new story speaks of improved opportunities and reduced poverty. It is full of accounts of artisans whose value is being restored, who are investing in their local communities, and who are being recognized for their incredible work. This story is about a generation who has been activated to engage and inspired to create a positive impact.
As consumers, we hold the potential to make significant waves in the mainstream marketplace. Enrou is empowering individuals to do more with their purchases and to understand our choices can incite lasting change. Together, we are en route to a better world. ————————————————————————————————
ABOUT
Enrou is shifting this generation’s understanding of philanthropy by helping people realize their purchases carry the power to produce real, positive change.
Enrou is working to reduce global poverty by empowering consumers to make informed purchases.
Enrou is shifting the conversation on philanthropy and setting the precedent for the positive influence fashion can have.
As a socially conscious lifestyle brand, Enrou focuses on a new understanding of philanthropy, acknowledging our choices as consumers have the potential to create positive change on a global level.
Enrou understands our decisions as consumers have the capacity to produce positive change in the mainstream marketplace. Our small choices can have a major impact, on both a local and global level.
Enrou encourages consumers to make informed, intentional purchasing decisions, and to connect with the story behind what they own.
Enrou is empowering individuals to move away from complacent consumerism and to move towards purposeful purchasing.
With its fresh perspective on philanthropy, Enrou is setting the precedent for the positive influence fashion can have by providing opportunities that reduce global poverty. ————————————————————————————————
BRAND DESCRIPTIONS
Mayamiko
Mayamiko hosts a collection of clothing, accessories, and homewares all ethically-produced in Malawi by the Mayamiko Cotton Project. Their products are distinct in the fusion of contemporary design with traditional African techniques. Mayamiko offers sewing and tailoring training to local women, many of whom have been affected by the HIV epidemic. In addition to these skills, the women also gain knowledge on nutrition and sanitation, as well as benefitting from fair trade practices.
Hiptipico
Hiptipico creates socially-conscious fashion that supports artisans near Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. By working directly with multiple vendors, cooperatives, and families, Hiptipico cultivates relationships and provides additional revenue for the local economy. As an alternative to mass-produced and copied designs, each Hiptipico piece is ethical and authentic. In addition, The ‘Buy a Backpack, Fund a Student’ initiative donates ten percent of its profits to a scholarship program for the artists’ children.
JOYN
At the heart of JOYN exists a desire to see lives changed and to create restoration, hope, and dignity for each individual. For this reason, JOYN provides its employees with more than a steady job and a positive work environment, but also a daily meal plan, education for their children, English and vocational training, and medical care. Artisans are paid a fair market wage for their work, and one hundred percent of JOYN’s profits are invested back into their community.
Anchal Project
Anchal Project is a nonprofit organization and social enterprise addressing the exploitation of women around the world. Anchal Project provides alternative careers in textiles and design to commercial sex workers in India, with artisans making up to fifty percent more money than they would in the sex trade industry. These women are empowered through their new skills, education, independence, and sense of community, while also benefitting from the restoration of their confidence and self-worth.
Teysha
Teysha is building a network of artisans and entrepreneurs who co-create opportunities, connect cultures, and bridge gaps to bring positive economic change to global communities. Teysha is focused on sustainability, not only for those it partners with in Panama, Colombia, and Guatemala, but for the entire planet. With expanded access to markets and stronger supplier relations, artisans can better engage in profitable, sustainable business.
Prosperity Candle
Prosperity Candle helps its employees flourish, offering an environment where they can earn a fair wage while creating beautiful goods. The candles are handcrafted by Burmese refugee women living in Massachusetts, and each comes with the story of the woman who made it, allowing consumers and creators to form a connection. The women are not only trained in candle production, but are also empowered with entrepreneurial skills to build and manage their own businesses.
Pura Vida
In Spanish, the phrase pura vida means pure life, indicating the enjoyment of a life lived slowly and the celebration of good fortune. The brand Pura Vida is known for its vibrant, waterproof bracelets, each handmade in Costa Rica. The purchase of Pura Vida products helps to provide full-time jobs for more than fifty local artisans. In addition to this support of the Costa Rican people, Pura Vida donates to the Surfrider Foundation and a number of other charities.
TRIBE
TRIBE’s focus is on fashion, freedom, and the beauty of being a woman, incorporating handmade jewelry that promotes and grows entrepreneurial efforts. TRIBE connects Ugandan women with business partnerships, giving them the opportunity to utilize their gifts in a way that is sustainable for themselves and for their families. In the TRIBE environment, women are encouraged to express their creativity and make their dreams a reality.
Land of a Thousand Hills
Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Company partners with rural farming communities in Rwanda, helping the families in these areas to generate more income. At its core, the mission is to ensure farmers receive a sustainable living wage for the coffee they produce. Through these relationships and with the help of
local churches and leadership, Land of a Thousand Hills is making an impact by investing in education, orphan and widow care, and economic development.
No.41
No.41 has come alongside a group of Rwandan women to highlight their incredible talents and to help them rise above their circumstances. No.41 uses fashion to provide sustainable employment and empower these women, in turn creating change for themselves and their communities. Employees are paid a fair wage for the handmade goods they create, and all profits help to fund a feeding program for 1,200 students in their area. ————————————————————————————————
CREATOR STORIES
Mayamiko
Growing up in Lilongwe, Malawi, Lezitta never had the opportunity to be educated or to find work. Since her training with the Mayamiko Trust, however, Lezitta has acquired the skills necessary for finding a job. She would like to pursue a sewing machine grant to be able to provide a living for herself and her two children, of whom she is the sole provider. Lezitta plans to use her income to send her children to school, so they can receive the education she never had.
A mother of five children, Patuma lives with her husband in a house just over a mile from The Fashion Lab. Prior to working with Mayamiko, Patuma had not held a job or completed primary school. She heard about Mayamiko Trust from a former student of The Fashion Lab, and she is now on her way to fully supporting herself. Once she has undertaken basic training in literacy, numeracy, and tailoring, Patuma hopes to open up her own tailoring shop.
Sophiloat lives in Lilongwe with her husband and five children. She joined the Mayamiko training program to learn tailoring skills, in an effort to bring money into her household. She has greatly enjoyed the training so far, and has found it very helpful. Now, when her children’s clothes need mending, she no longer has to visit a tailor; she can do it herself! Sophiloat plans to start her own business after she graduates.
Hiptipico
The store Telma Buc Martinez and her husband own in Panajachel, Guatemala helps to support their large family. Not only are the majority of their products handmade, but they also incorporate numerous ethnicities and styles into their work to create distinct pieces for the region of Lake Atitlan. In addition, Telma helps local artisans in a small town outside of Quetzaltenango, forming collaborations to keep unique patterns, colors, and prints in her store.
Rosa is a young mother with innovative ideas who works with a women’s group in Santiago. She creates high quality items for wholesale production, like her hand-woven customizable pens. Rosa works hard to send her children to an international private school, providing them with the opportunity for a better future. By supporting Rosa’s craft, you are a positive influence on her family and on generations to come.
Anastasia is a hardworking Mayan woman, and one of many talents. Not only is she employed at Pencils of Promise, she also sells homemade ceviche and creates beautiful, hand-beaded goods. Against all odds and with five growing children in school, Anastasia is committed to continuing her own education to earn a university degree and secure her family’s future. While seeking new opportunities, Anastasia still preserves the Mayan culture in her household through language, food, and dress.
JOYN
At age sixteen, Malti took a stand for change by becoming a member of JOYN's youth training program. Now a full-time employee of JOYN, Malti is the sole provider for her three siblings. Her relentless strength has enabled her to buy land for her family and secure their future through JOYN's micro-lending initiative.
Malti’s dreams of perfecting her craft, building her savings, and extending her blessings to her family are coming to fruition because of your purchase.
Mamta is both a stitcher and a dreamer, but she is perhaps best known in the JOYN community for her mentorship to many of the younger artisans. Mamta moved from Rajasthan to Rajpur less than a year ago to partner with JOYN, and is working to excel at her craft in order to bring her daughter from Rajasthan to Rajpur, as well. Through the purchase of these handbags and accessories, you are helping to make their reunion possible.
ʺI'm very happy, and I feel very loved here,ʺ Lali says, acknowledging how her community at JOYN has helped her to find joy again.The perseverance of a woman who has suffered from leprosy is not easily shaken; in the midst of her heartache and struggle, Lali fought to find hope. She is part of one of the most marginalized people groups in the world, yet she remains happy and hopeful as she passionately contributes her weaving skills to the JOYN team.
Anchal Project
Basanti, a Senior Artisan at Anchal Project, has a compelling story that testifies to the transformative power of being employed with this organization. After she dropped out of school to earn money for her family, Basanti once again began desiring an education. Now, she makes her daughter’s studies a top priority, working hard to be able to save for her college tuition. Basanti has found fulfillment at Anchal Project, as well as a wonderful camaraderie with her fellow artisans.
Santu began experiencing hardship even before she was born. With her father passing away prior to her birth, her mother was left to support their family. While Santu received very little education growing up, she now dreams of improving her financial knowledge and hopes to learn to read so she no longer has to ask for help from strangers. Santu invests her income from Anchal Project in the education of her children, ensuring they have greater opportunities than those she had access to.
Shakuntela, an artisan and a mother of three, is the sole provider for her family. She has found an outlet from hardship through Anchal Project, and her pride is beautifully exhibited in the pieces she sews. Though her children’s education is her main priority, Shakuntela has also found value in witnessing women everywhere be inspired and empowered by her creations.
Teysha
Sonia’s income as an artisan can be inconsistent, as she often receives late payments from her customers. By purchasing slippers, bags, or hats from Teysha, you increase the opportunities available to Sonia and her community, creating a dependable and sustainable source of income. Through her work with Teysha, Sonia is able to grow her family’s business, develop leadership qualities, and provide more resources for her children.
Sue is proud of her Kuna heritage, and her dream has always been to share her culture with the world through fashion and design. By economically empowering the island of Ustupu, Teysha has helped to bring an income to the families in this remote area, encouraging the creation of headbands and the traditional mola headpiece, as well. Now, Sue’s dream is being realized.
Teysha’s founders were introduced to Marcelina and Francisco while looking to make prototypes of potential goods. These two could assemble nearly anything without a pattern, and Teysha was in awe of their creativity and positive attitudes. Marcelina and Francisco quickly became the in-demand team in Panama, and now their relationship with Teysha has grown even closer through continued purchasing of mola, as well as the development of other products.