Tell Me About Where This Came From....

Our customers often ask where the item they are purchasing was made or "what the story is" about a certain product.  Today I asked my Mom what she might be interested in reading about on the Blog, and she said "about where your products come from and the women who make them".   Maybe other readers are interested in more information about this topic as well.

Buy The Change currently has products  made by women in 12 developing nations.  Every piece has been handmade and fairly traded.  The list includes:  Afganistan, Cambodia, China, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Thailand, Uganda and Vietnam. 

We are always searching for new and interesting products from unrepresented countries.  This past May at the International Women's Expo in Novi, we were blessed to meet Leslie,  a wonderful women from western Michigan.  She spends half the year in Africa doing mission work and has become our eyes on the ground in Kenya and Uganda.  She handpicks african jewelry and baskets for Buy The Change, directly from the women artisans who make them.  In summer 2012 we added recycled paper bead jewelry and fabric baskets.  This fall you will see a large selection of bright colored rafia baskets in our inventory as well.   Helping us find new products helps Leslie continue the important work she is doing in Africa with her non-profit, Surprised by Hope. 

Here is a sample list of the types of products we source from each country:

Afganistan:    Organic Soaps, balms and Lotions
Cambodia:     Silk  bags and Scarves
China:            Jewelry
Guatemala:    Scarves and Bags
India:             Jewelry, Recycled Sari Fabric Blankets, bags and scarves
Indonesia:      Sterling Silver Jewelry
Kenya:           Recycled Fabric Bowls, Recycled Paper Bead Jewelry
Mexico:         Bags, Sterling Silver Jewelry
Nepal:            Woven Glass Bead Roll-on Bracelets
Thailand:        Silk Bags and Scarves
Uganda:         Baskets, Recycled Paper Bead Jewelry, Glass Bead Jewelry 
Vietnam:        Silk Bags and Scarves 

You can find more detailed information about the artisan groups at the Buy The Change website.   www.buythechangeusa.org.

Check out our Facebook page too:  www.facebook.com/buythechange   If you aren't already a friend, please hit "like" while you are there. 

Social Entrepreneurship vs Non Profit

Buy The Change is part of an amazing trend in the world of business.  This trend, social entrepreneurship, is based on business practices focused on making a long term, positive social impact.  Because profits are not the main goal of our company, we can make decisions that allow growth while considering the best possible influence and outcomes for everyone involved.  From the women who make the products we sell, to the NGO's and/or microloan programs that helped them set up their businesses, to the fair trade wholesalers we use to help us source the best products, everyone's best interest is considered.  We choose only to do business with people and organizations that follow fair trade practices and function as social entrepreneurs themselves.

We take care to offer products you, our customers want to own.  We want to be the go to place when you need a gift for yourself or someone else.  The idea of buying fair trade products, that you will probably never use, as a donation to a non-profit is becoming obsolete.  Social entrepreneurship is replacing this old dynamic.

Because we are legally a "for profit" business, we can use the profits we make by selling fairly traded products to expand our reach and influence in raising awareness about the issues facing women and girls around the developing world.  We don't have to fund raise to do an awareness campaign or support a new group of artisans.  As we grow and independent consultants begin holding Buy The Change shows shows all over the country, we will have added even another level to our plan for social change by creating jobs for women here in the United States.

Don't get me wrong,  we believe in the work being done by non-profit organizations all over the world.  We just don't believe that a company has to be a non-profit to be firmly committed to making a difference and creating lasting change.  We are in the process of creating the Buy The Change Foundation which will be a 501(c)3 organization.  The foundation will be responsible for supporting special projects that are larger than the scope of what we can do while trying to establish and grow our company.

We don't believe in limits or living life from a place of "we can't".  If there is something we can do to further our mission and be an agent of change for women and girls around the world, we will figure out a way to get it done.