Our Artisan Partners
Real women are rising out of poverty every day with the help of people like you.
North Asia
We help sex trafficking survivors experience healing & hope through trauma counseling, education, & dignified jobs.
“For the first time in my life, I have a job where I feel like I can tell people what I do for a living. It’s helped me find value and confidence in myself. Since becoming an Artisan, I‘ve had the opportunity to take so many classes. I’m excited to learn more!” – Ling
Bangladesh
We help survivors of child marriage & women breaking free from sex trafficking create new lives filled with dignity & hope.
“As a teenager, I was arrested for sitting near sex workers. My family rejected me, so I began to work for the people I met in jail. After I had children, I became an Artisan so I could provide my family with a respectable life.” – Jui
Cambodia
We help acid attack & genocide survivors rediscover dignity & hope as independent businesswomen & Artisans.
“One day, someone threw acid on me. It dissolved both my skin and my life. It was like living in darkness with no future and no value. As an Artisan, I saw that my life encouraged other women. It’s not just business, it’s a matter of the heart.” – Ya
Costa Rica
We help women in communities threatened by poverty, crime, drug abuse, & sex trafficking earn dignified income.
“I grew up where girls were often sold to men so their families can have enough money to eat. Local Artisans taught our single mom with five kids how to make jewelry so we could have a better life. Now I’m an Artisan too!” – Mirla
Dominican Republic
We help women break free from poverty, domestic abuse & human trafficking through counseling, safe & dignified jobs.
“Life was very bad before I became an Artisan. I was sexually abused by my father and sold at 11 years old to a man I did not love. My children will be the first generation in my family to grow up in a safe home without poverty, sexual abuse, or trafficking.” – Yocasta
Guatemala
We help create jobs in areas of extreme poverty & support a safe house for girls overcoming poverty, abuse, & trafficking.
“For years, my job kept me from being with my family. Then, I built a workshop in my home where I could have more time to spend with our children.” – Clara
Haiti
We help mothers provide & care for their children, so they won’t have to give them up to poverty orphanages.
“I’m a single mother with a son who suffers from a rare and dangerous brain disease. Without my work, I would have to depend on others. My work pays for his medical treatments and helps me offer my son a better life.” – Johana
India
We help prevent child marriage & exploitation of vulnerable women in sweatshops by providing fair-trade jobs in areas of extreme poverty.
“My parents married me off when I was 17. I was an agricultural laborer but rarely paid. I had never made jewelry, but I was trained and accepted in. Now, I’m confident and earn enough to send my children to school and provide them with healthcare.” – Asha
Jordan
We help marginalized women overcome discrimination & oppression & become financially independent as Artisans.
“Working with the other women gives me a reason to get up in the morning. We’re a family, not colleagues. Since partnering with Trades of Hope, I’ve become stronger as a person and more confident.” – Manal
Kenya
We help support a community center & provide jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty & women with disabilities.
“When we weren’t able to pay for our daughter’s school fees, Artisans at our village’s community center offered to train me to make jewelry. Now our daughter is back in school!” – Jane
Mexico
We help provide jobs with living wages in areas of extreme poverty so moms can send their kids to school instead of work.
“I grew up in a small village where my grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins were all Artisans. One day, I’ll pass down our Mayan Artisan heritage to my son too. Your purchase supports so many generations of our family!” – Erica
Nepal
We help women overcome gender discrimination & trafficking by providing dignified jobs with fair wages for women.
“I grew up in a rural village where women still suffer from gender discrimination, child marriage, and the dowry system. I learned traditional Nepalese felt crafting to support myself and fulfill my dreams of becoming a social entrepreneur.” – Ranjana
Pakistan
We help women break free from abuse, generational debt, & bond-slavery through training & dignified fair-trade jobs.
“I come from a poor family in Pakistan and started cleaning houses to survive. This is a dangerous job in my country because the men would often abuse me. I was terrified. Now I no longer clean houses in fear.” – Salome
Peru
We help women overcome poverty, lack of opportunities, & crime by partnering to provide flexible jobs in remote areas.
“If I wasn’t an Artisan, my economic status through the pandemic would be hard. I feel blessed! This order saved us! Trades of Hope was there in an important moment when our work decreased. I was working from home with some Inca Studs in my charge. Our job is not only about a piece of jewelry. It’s a part of our hearts!” – Julia
Philippines
We partner to help keep families together by providing fair-trade jobs in remote villages, so parents can stay with their families.
“For years, my husband traveled six days a week to provide for our basic needs. My work, binding capiz shells for jewelry at home, is a big help to us. It helps us save money to start a small business, so my husband can stay with us.” – Retchel
Thailand
We help moms in remote villages earn income at home, so they can afford to stay with their families & send their kids to school.
“Training and working at home also help us save money because I don’t have to travel far away to find work. Your purchase helps us keep our kids in school and our family together.” – Kannika
Uganda
We help refugees, marginalized women, & families living in slums gain access to dignified jobs, healthcare, & clean water.
“Weaving the traditional baskets of my Ugandan Batwa ancestors has changed my life. I remember when famine hit really hard. It was evening, and we had nothing to eat. Selling my basket was like God coming down. I got enough money to buy food for a month.” – Nyiransabimaana
U.S.A.
We help support safe houses & provide jobs for women breaking free from addiction, trafficking, generational poverty, & trauma.
“I’m a single mother of four. I couldn’t get a job because I’m a felon. Now I have a job making a statement for women. I want others to know there are people who will give you a chance.” – Shera
Vietnam
We help women overcome gender discrimination by providing job skills training & local fair-trade jobs for women.
“We have debt due to economic losses. My work gives me stable income. Soon I will pay off the debt and have more money to take care of our family for a better life. I dream a happy life, our children graduating from university and having a good life.” – Thi Hien
Have Questions?
WE’RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM
How are these stories collected?
The women who choose to share their stories of hope with you do so on a volunteer basis. Many of these Artisans are from communities were women are ignored and oppressed. We never speak on their behalf, but create a platform for them to finally use their voices at their will. We take every opportunity to quote Artisans directly. Every product’s packaging and web page include a quoted message the Artisan wishes for you to hear. These stories are sent to our Artisan Communications department, which touches base with our Artisan communities daily.
How do you "find" your Artisan partners?
In past, we have connected with Artisan partners through our CEO’s network of nonprofit contacts. Our team has also traveled the world to trade shows to meet with new Artisans in person. Today, a majority of connections made through our Artisan application on our website. As we are a leader in the fair trade industry, Artisan communities apply regularly. We enter into partnerships based on their needs (we are always egear to help in urgent circumstances), sustainability, and product development opportinities.
How much to the Artisans get paid?
In past, we have seen charities “giveback” a couple dollars of each bracelet to a developing community.
But we are not a charity, and our Artisan partners have told us they don’t want charity. They want a dignified and fair opportunity.
That is why we pay our Artisan partners 100% of their asking price (they set the price!) for a product order before you even see that product on our website! We are in a business partnership with them. Not a charity.
Our Artisans receive 3 to 6 times what they would normally make in their region. The Fair Trade communities that are helping them get their product to market follow guidelines of checks and balances to give back, not just to the Artisan, but to their community as a whole as well. This includes things like wells, children’s schools, education for adults, land, and developing homes. It is life changing. Fair Trade is about providing a living wage for those in extreme poverty and giving them a chance for a better life. To understand more about Fair Trade go to www.fairtradefederation.org.