Our social impact
Are you aware that over 45 million people worldwide live under slavery like conditions? Many have less than 2,-€ a day to survive on. Because they do earn enough, many young women become trafficked and exploited in Europe as forced prostitutes. We believe that we can prevent this violence from happening by creating a fair income for vulnerable women.
Mid to Bottom approach – integrating external designers and existing producers To increase our social impact, we integrate existing designers and producers into our network to give them tools to help them build their businesses. If they build their businesses, they can employ and train even more people in their communities. These producers are small enterprises who do not have the resources to get the classic sustainability certifications that is demanded at the global marketplace. Even more so do we believe it is necessary to create inclusion for them.
Our goal is to increase employment in Africa using textile, garment and accessories manufacturing as a tool. Creating sustainable income and showcasing the entrepreneurial abilities of African youths, would create prospects and pride for youths and would therefore help to reduce their vulnerability to become victims of human trafficking. Do you want to partner with us, please write [email protected].
How it all started!
In 2006, Joana founded a charity organisation called NGO EXIT to raise awareness about the plights of human trafficking victims. After over 8 years of counselling and fighting for the rights of victims of human trafficking in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, Joana created a handicraft workshop for victims in Vienna. 6 women started at the craft workshop which was majorly jewelry making and there the idea came.
Joana traveled several times to Nigeria, researching on possible skill set that vulnerable women possess. She employed two tailors in a small one bedroom apartment and started a training program in Lagos, Nigeria in 2014. Thanks to so much support, here we are now with over 200 producers in our network.
Supply chain of raw materials:
One or more of these major raw materials has been used in your product. Please take time to read through and if you have question, do not hesitate to write us > [email protected]
- African print fabrics made out of cotton, or a mixture of cotton and polyester: Our prints are made in West Africa majorly in Nigeria, Ghana and Cote de voir.
- Jersey fabric: We import cotton jersey fabric because they are not available where ewe produce. Our jersey fabric are organic fabric purchased from suppliers in the Netherland and Germany. Also we gather leftovers of jersey fabrics available at our Austrian retailer.
Some other raw materials like the yarns used to weave our canvas (Aso-oke) are purchased from local small traders in the market. These yarns are woven in Nigeria or in Ghana.
- Organic cotton batik fabric: Our Batik fabrics are made out of organic cotton we purchase in Togo where it is also hand dyed within the highest possible environmentally friendly process available on ground. Our major dye colors is mixed with water, rather than a chemical additive. Not all colors can be applied organically. We prefer to use locally available fabrics as it is a means to generate income for the local farmers and traders.
Vegetable Leather: Our vegetable leather-like material is sourced from Italy. It consist of about 25% of the cellulose from certified forests FSC, following principles of environmental sustainability. The remaining percentage comes from legal forests and plantations.
*We only work with producers that can account for where they purchase their major raw materials. If it is the case that they cannot account for it, we allow them to remain in training and aid them to get the best possible sustainable material they can afford. Only after are they allowed to showcase on our platforms.
Support our effort!
Care and customer issues:
We are a small company striving daily to become our best possible version. If you find any mistakes in our products or it gets spoilt unexpectedly within the first 6 months of purchase, please let us know about it, so that we can ratify the issue immediately. We want to motivate our producers to keep a high quality. Only if you let us know, then we can inform them about what to do better the next time. Thank you so much for supporting us grow this vision.
Want to support us?
- Organise a home party, get your friends together, tell them about human trafficking , raise awareness and sell some of our products. If you want to do this, write us to help you out > [email protected]. Our CEO and founder, Joana is happy to hold a workshop or presentation about the social issue of human trafficking, how we can work to stop it and about our company. Feel free to ask her to come over.
- If you know about a nice store in your community or district that you think should have some of our products, talk to the owner and give them our email address to write us – [email protected]. You can also send us the store information per email and we can contact them as well.
- Share our products, our blog and pictures on your social media, so that your friends can know about us.
