Love Blooms Brooches "Made in Thailand." The phrase usually brings to mind shoddy products assembled in sweatshops that are desired for one reason: they are cheap. But what if "Made in Thailand" was an encouraging phrase? What if you knew that buying a product from that country actually helped the employees who made it? That's what occurs each time someone buys a brooch from Women at Risk, International. These brooches, available in many colors and styles, are made from the Pearls of Hope business in Thailand. Each of the workers is paid a living wage, so they are able to care for themselves and their families. By making these brooches, the women are safe from becoming financially desperate and falling into the clutches of sex traffickers. Start your summer off wearing a brooch that blooms love! Peaelle is such a woman. In Thai culture, it's the woman's responsibility to provide for the family, and even more so for Peaelle because her husband is paralyzed. Her scarf business went under after she did not receive payment from a European customer, and she had no means for income. What could she do? Without any other option, many women end up looking for jobs in the worst part of Bangkok, only to be forced into prostitution. But hope came to Peaelle when Pearls of Hope employed her. Now, she and her five children are able to sustain the family through what they make at this business. |