One of my friends interned one summer in Guatemala for an organization that works to empower women by introducing them to the global market with the production of bags. Mercado Global empowers indigenous women in Guatemala to become their own agents of change in their communities. According to their website, 75% of indigenous Guatemalans live below the poverty line and 58% live in extreme poverty. Read more here.
As someone who needs glasses to see almost anything, I love all of the emerging, affordable glasses brands that have been established over the past couple of years (I especially love the ones that do home try-ons). While I was in graduate school a couple of years ago, I mentioned to a friend that I needed a new pair of glasses, but couldn’t afford them. She suggested that I check out Warby Parker’s website and I’ve been hooked ever since! Here’s a picture of my most recent pair. Warby Parker not only provides affordable glasses to consumers in the US, but they have partnered with VisionSpring to ensure that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need. According to Warby Parker’s website, almost one billion people worldwide lack access to glasses, which means that 15% of the world’s population cannot effectively learn or work. Read more here.
The first shop that I want to talk about I discovered quite recently, but already adore. The title of the shop is Punjammies and is sponsored by the International Princess Project. The goal of this project is to help women in India escape sex slavery. The project partners with local organizations to establish “micro-enterprise sewing centers” teaching women how to sew and then design and create the “loungewear” called Punjammies. Read more here.
one-quarter vegan 