Wonderfully Made

Looking to start your Christmas/Holiday shopping early? Girls, want to treat yourself to something nice? Guys, need a special gift for that special someone? ...Make a difference in the world by finding out WHO you are supporting/NOT supporting at the bottom of the production chain for the things you buy...SUPPORT SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE BETTER LIVES!!

Our West Coast Coordinator/Twitter Extraordinaire, Dianne, found another awesome business, Wonderfully Made, that directly supports survivors of human trafficking!

Wonderfully Made is a jewelry company that provides an alternative means of income for victims of human trafficking. By giving survivors a successful profession, it helps them from being vulnerable to returning to the slave industry. The jewelry is handmade by survivors and is produced into high quality products desired by Western consumers. Each piece is unique and meant to serve as a conversation starter to deliver a message of hope for victims of human trafficking.

Check out some of my favorite pieces :

This "Soleil Bracelet" includes a variety of quality beads and glass on a gold-fill chain. $75

These "Confetti Earrings" are made exclusively for Wonderfully Made by NightLight Designs in Bangkok, Thailand. They are a combination of black pearls and black lip shell beads clustered together on sterling silver earwires. Originally $50, now on sale for $25!

The long term vision of Wonderfully Made, taken directly from their website, is as follows :

That every trafficked victim and prostitute has the opportunity

to realize the freedom, beauty, and hope found in Jesus Christ.

The Body Shop

We all know that The Body Shop sells some amazing beauty products to help us enhance our natural beauty and live healthy lives...what some don't know is that The Body Shop is also committed to the environment, and now, to human rights. We are so excited to inform you all about their new (since 2009) global campaign to help fight human trafficking!

As part of their work to support important causes around the world, The Body Shop has recently launched a global campaign to "Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People." They are working alongside ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) in a campaign that seeks to raise awareness and funds for victims and others at risk of human trafficking.

SSTCYP was launched in 2009 and has since then gathered support from more than 40 countries worldwide. Part of the campaign includes the launch of their exclusive product, "The Body Shop Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream."

Proceeds from each hand cream are donated to ECPAT and other various organizations that are actively working to support victims and prevent future trafficking cases. It is estimated that sales of SHKH Hand Cream equal ONE EVERY 30 SECONDS. That means more than a staggering 1.5 Million dollars have been raised for anti-trafficking charity. MAJOR PROPS to The Body Shop for this amazing campaign.

How you can be involved :

1. Tell everyone you know about the SSTCYP campaign to help spread the word about the tragedy that is sex-trafficking and what we can do to help STOP it.

2. Buy a bottle of SHKH hand cream! Online or in stores!

3. Send tips of suspected trafficking reports to protect@ecpat.net

4. Visit The Body Shop's campaign webpage to read more details about the campaign and to sign their petition which is being brought to the UN in 2011 to encourage officials to implement stricter trafficking policies and legislation.

Hope Jewelry

I am SO SO excited about a website that I found today!!

Read on, bloggers!! :)

HOPE JEWELRY is an Arizona based company that sells jewelry made by sex-trafficking survivors around the world. Not only do they raise money and support for organizations in East Asia who are working to bring freedom to women and girls, but they also help spread the word through home gatherings to bring education and awareness to women all over the world that sexual slavery has a global impact and needs to end.

By shopping at Hope Jewelry, you will automatically be supporting the fight against sexual slavery. You will be doing your part to help empower victims around the world to use their God-given gifts as a way out of their bondage. Each item for sale is handmade by a survivor of sex-trafficking. They are each beautiful, unique, and hopeful. Here are a few of my favorites :

Embroidered Headbands made by survivors in India - Only $12 each!

Magazine Bracelets - made of recycled, rolled, shellacked, magazine pages by families in Uganda. Only $10 each!!

Multi-Colored Stone Bracelet made by survivors in Thailand. Only $27

Nepali-Ice Necklace handcrafted by survivors in Nepal. Wear long or loop once or twice for a layered look! Only $30.

French Market Bag - A mini-tote bag made by survivors in Shelano, India - only $22.

And many, many more GORGEOUS items on their website.

"Hope Jewelry isn't an accessory. It's a labor of love made by a woman who has been given an amazing gift...hope."

Check out all their beautiful items for sale, here, and join in the fight to end human sales! Buy JEWELRY to stop the buying of PEOPLE.

Akun

"Akun" in Cambodian means, "Thank You."

I already talked about this in a previous post, but I want to revisit it because I am still LOVING my Akun bracelet from the Somaly Mam Store.

Each bracelet is handmade by a sex-trafficking survivor and signifies their freedom and rehabilitation at the Tomdy Center in Phnom Penh. They only cost $15! Each bracelet is unique and a different color so you don't know what you're going to get until you open up your package! I received a beautiful, bright purple one and I absolutely love it. It inspires me to continue acting out against trafficking each time I wear it.

I encourage you to BUY ONE today!!! You won't regret it and your $15 will go a long way to help those in need.

Largest Human Trafficking Case in US History

6 individuals were busted for trafficking 400 Thai laborers into the US over the past 6 years and forcing them to work in various states across the country. In addition to the help of a Thai recruiting company, the scheme was led by Global Horizons Inc. The defendants face 10-70 years in prison.

Kudos to the FBI and the Department of Justice for taking this operation down. We hope for continued success in putting an end to trafficking operations across the US.

Read about the largest human trafficking case in US history here.