Scribbles in Love: Hope for Women- Fair Trade Greeting Cards from around the World
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008
Are you familiar with Hope for Women?
Hope for Women is a Burlington based fair-trade card company that hires women in India (and now El Salvador) at liveable wages to tend gardens and produce eco-friendly greeting with botanicals native to these areas. These women would otherwise be out of work or forced into manual labor for pennies.
I sat down for lunch with Evan Goldsmith, who owns and runs Hope for Women with his father David, to find out some insider information. Running a fair-trade company can be challenging when it comes to creating consistent work for the women. For example, when the monsoon strikes in India, women can’t create final product due to mold concerns but this obstacle and others does not hold Hope for Women back, in fact- this motivates Evan and his team to think creatively to keep the women healthy employed.
He explains, “Our ultimate reason for being has truly changed peoples lives.” When Evan establishes working situations he personally meets the women to ensure that their working environment is clean, safe, and flexible. The women enjoy their work for HFW and benefit well from their efforts. To read stories about the craftspeople now employed by HFW click here.
Another challenge HFW faces is maintaining a small carbon footprint when goods are produced overseas. To the greatest extent possible however, HFW has identified sources near the women to print the packaging on tree-free cardstock, wrap in compostable plastic, and use natural inks. The flowers are organic and sustainably harvested.
Now that the India line and Himalayan cards are steadily selling, HFW has shifted focus to a new region of the world: South America.
Evan cosmically stumbled upon Piel Acida; an artist collaborative in El Salvador sponsored by the international organization Aid to Artisans. Piel Acida, which means “dried orange peel,” helps El Salvadorian artists turn viable raw materials into art and then sell them. As fruit and juice are such a focal export of the region, art is often made with orange peels, coffee beans, and flowers. Before ATA sent consultants to Piel Acida in El Slavador, the women were creating cards that were quaint but not necessarily marketable to a more global market. Now, with ATA’s design support, resources, and infrastructure Piel Acida is producing stunning, chic designs with local botanics. Once Evan discovered this fresh exciting look, which aligns perfectly with the Himalaya cards, he knew HFW had found their next card line. After visiting El Salvador to personally meet the women and investigate the working condition, Evan sent one years worth of card material to the women to produce! HFW means business for these women’s lives and we’ll all benefit from these remarkable cards!
What’s next for HFW? HFW is in Colombia this week to solidify relationships with women’s groups to develop products made from sustainably harvested rainforest plants and determine how the company will continue to grow, benefiting an increasing number of women across our globe. Now it’s up to you to support this cause and keep the movement alive!
HFW is also expanding into the custom printing world and can handle large personalized print runs. Think responsibly for your next mailing and enjoy a vibrant world!
The Himalaya line is currently selling out at Scribbles and the El Salvador line will arrive any day- stay tuned!
