For many living in today’s society, slavery and human trafficking seem like archaic horrors of the past. However, for the 20 million women and girls who are still victims of this enterprise, human trafficking is all too real. It happens around the world, and right in our own backyard.
Purpose Jewelry has a mission to protect these trafficked women and girls; it intends to free them and keep them free forever. The organization is a social enterprise, like many other organizations fighting this horrendous issue. What makes this one unique is that it sells jewelry handmade by survivors of sex trafficking around the world. Valuable professional experience and a safe, welcoming work environment are priceless gifts that Purpose gives women.
Purpose Jewelry not only provides work and shelter for victims of slavery, but also holistic care through the non-profit organization International Sanctuary. Sherri Harris, Program Specialist at the Office of Refugee Resettlement Anti-Trafficking Program, says, “iSanctuary offers the missing piece to reintegration.”
Through the hard work of staff and volunteers and generous donations, Purpose Jewelery and iSanctuary hope to open 10 sanctuaries around the world by 2020 “where girls and women are transformed into survivors.” Currently, their work centers exist in Mumbai, India and Orange County, California. These locations are truly in need of it, seeing as India currently has more enslaved people than any other country in the world, with 41% of victims being Americans.
Economic problems and a lack of education are the main reasons why so many girls are enslaved and why families feel forced to sell their children. Most young girls are taken from school at the age of nine or ten. In 2020, iSanctuary plans to open a completely functioning academic center to help these survivors continue with their studies. This program could be monumental in helping to educate young girls.
Each piece of beautiful handcrafted jewelry is unique, yet still keeps in touch with current trends. Purpose Jewelry has a lookbook for each season that perspective shoppers can check out to find the perfect piece for them.
With Purpose products, what you wear can say more than it ever did before. Simply by shopping for jewelry, the wearer directly expresses freedom, hope, compassion, and equality. Each purchase directly impacts the life of a real human being, granting them fair wages and autonomy. And, in the organization’s own words, “You shouldn’t have to sacrifice style to make a difference.”
Featured Image by Tamara Bellis on Unsplash
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