Born inland in Nairobi, Vicky always dreamed of working for an export company and being in charge of sending goods all around the world. After years of factory work, Vicky’s passion for protecting wildlife led her to Wildlife Works, where lo and behold, she is part of a team responsible for shipping finished products to their final destinations abroad.
But Vicky’s road to her dream job was not an easy one. Lack of funding made staying in school difficult, and she was often sent home for not having money for fees, a uniform, or books. Although her beloved mother taught Vicky all the skills she had, it took her many years of odd jobs to save up enough for university.
But she did it, and hasn’t stopped pursuing her goals. Next up for Vicky is coursework in purchasing and supply management, and hopefully, one day, starting her own fashion line.
Suggested use: Wear with pride.
Dilcia, a single mother, goes way back with the artisan collective, Mi Esperanza—which means literally, “my hope.” Your funky new tassel is testament to Dilcia’s own fierce hope to provide.
When, in 2005, a flood took part of Dilcia’s land, Mi Esperanza helped Dilcia and her boys move to a shelter. Afterwards, equipped with a Mi Esperanza micro-loan, Dilcia opened her own business but was forced to close shop when a local gang demanded she pay a “war tax.” Finally, after excelling in a Mi Esperanza sewing course, Dilcia earned the recognition that spurned her upward mobility.
When GlobeIn’s order for tassel charms prompted Mi Esperanza to hire six new artisans, it was Dilcia they put in charge of training the new recruits. Your charm has brought Dilcia to a new level of confidence in her work—now let it bring some playful flare to your look!
Suggested use: Attach to your keys or the zipper of your day bag.
Established by Jyoti Parnami in Jaipur, India in 2002, Seen Unseen began as a small team of embroiderers and tailors bringing to life Jyoti’s childhood dream of working at the intersection of art and fashion. Today, her workshop employs 15 full-time staff members and 20 artisans working to grace the world of textile with all that is India in color, design, and handiwork.
Jyoti’s strength lies in identifying people’s skill sets and motivating them to turn their abilities into employment. The “Pattern Master” behind your new piece’s bold geometry is Mohan Lal, the soul of creativity for Seen Unseen, and with the workshop since its inception. A result of Mohan’s and Jyoti’s shared vision, your new clutch adds an accent of Jaipur-inspired patterns and craftsmanship to any outfit.
Suggested use: Go light! Stash your essentials and carry them fashionably off to your evening destination.
One day, while robbing a bus with his gang, Otto encountered a young girl who emptied her pockets of what few coins she had and begged him not to hurt her mommy and daddy. Like so many boys living among the poverty and machismo culture of La Limonada, the largest slum in Central America, Otto had been swept into the relentless cycle of violence that is gang life. But on that day, he walked off the bus and never returned.
Instead, he makes shoes. This, he says, is “sacred work.” Indeed, his entire business plan is to train and hire both young boys and former gang members. Today, among the stacks of rusted aluminum roofs, concrete homes, and violent streets of La Limonada, Otto’s home quadruples as a shoe workshop, safe haven for men and boys, and beacon of hope and change for his entire community.
Christiana, or “Mama Christie,” as everyone calls her, was working for Della even before she was working for Della! To explain...
Della is a socially responsible fashion line based in Hohoe, Ghana, whose employees receive a steady, fair income as well as educational opportunities. Years before Della opened a shop of its own and began hiring its first employees in 2011, Mama Christie was working under a seamstress madame in Hohoe for little to no pay. Much of what she worked on was in fact outsourced orders from Della.
One day when picking up an order, Della’s founder, Tina, met Mama Christie and learned of her predicament. Tina decided then and there that she had to open a shop of her own. As soon as she did, Mama Christie gladly left her madame and became one of Della’s very first employees.
Suggested use: For a funky, I-just-painted-the-whole-house sort of look, tie around the hair or neck.
Five hours from Oaxaca City, in the town of San Pedro Jocotipac, Don Juan García and his family of artisan basket weavers sit together for hours a day weaving. With a dexterity passed down through generations, ancestry come to life in the tireless work of fingers, they fashion the palms into vibrant, multi-colored baskets.
Don Juan and his family produce about 800 baskets per month. He then transports the baskets to Oaxaca where they are picked up by Marina Lopez, who coordinates with GlobeIn.
For the people of the Mixteca region, as this part of Mexico is known, basket-weaving is a way of life that also sustains life. Thanks to the money earned through working with GlobeIn, Don Juan’s dream of becoming a small business owner is beginning to happen. He opened a small store in the city and is now able to provide employment to more weavers in his village.
Suggested Use: Use as a decorative vessel on top of your dresser to store light scarves or coiled belts.
