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FIRST DIBS! Get a pair of our NEW Colorwave Earrings for ONLY $5 at checkout with any order of $55 or more! Shop Now.

FIRST DIBS! Get a pair of our NEW Colorwave Earrings for ONLY $5 at checkout with any order of $55 or more! Shop Now.

Fair Trade Jewelry and Ethical Fashion

Trades of Hope Jewelry from the D.R. Tells a Powerful Story

by | Fashion as a Force for Good, Founders

Jewelry With a Mission

Trades of Hope Jewelry from the D.R. tells a powerful story. The director of our Dominican Republic Artisan community shared with us the power of our designs from the D.R. Because Trades of Hope placed orders for these products – thanks to our amazing Partners, hostesses, and customers – our community was able to welcome a young woman who was being sexually trafficked into their recovery program. This is the direct impact you have against trafficking. – (Read Time: 2 min.)

Think these pieces are just fashion accessories? Think again!

Anna Azul Bracelet from the Dominican Republic

14 Year Old Rescued from Sex Trafficking

On May 10, 2020, after Trades of Hope placed an order for handcrafted stone jewelry and accessories from the D.R., a 14-year-old-girl was rescued from trafficking and brought to our D.R. Artisan community. Though her name can’t be shared for safety reasons, her story remains with us as a powerful reminder. Her 35-year-old trafficker first met her while selling empanadas near her school. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

After meeting her, he was captivated by her and took her away to Santo Domingo when she was only 13 years old. He abused her sexually, and now she has a 5-month-old baby named Andy. She was rescued by the Department of Human Trafficking, tipped off by the girl’s mother who heartbreakingly notified the police that she had been taken. Today, she and her baby are in our community’s protective custody and rehabilitation program.

Empowering Survivors With Healing & Hope

Right now, she is receiving mental health sessions from their clinical psychologist and she started on some educational activities.

Our community was able to shelter the 14-year-old survivor because of our Partners, hostesses, and customers who allow us to place more orders with our Artisans!

Our handcrafted genuine stone designs from the D.R. are not merely accessories, but physical reminders of HOPE reaching the darkest places of the world.

THANK YOU for the role you have played in her story and in the story of her beautiful son, Andy. Let’s give her opportunities to rise out of poverty so he never experiences what his mother is currently overcoming.

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Elisabeth Huijskens

Elisabeth Huijskens

Elisabeth is a founder of Trades of Hope and is passionate about empowering women to boldly reach their dreams, here at home and around the world. She loves meeting our artisan partners, traveling to new cultures, and binging Downton Abbey episodes with her matching redhead puppy.