Rescue Her

   Wow, so the topic of human trafficking and sex slavery is one that I am just beginning to dip my toes in and already it has my heart hurting, longing for there to be freedom for each person. The injustice of it all.  It hurts the most to hear of the little girls being abused. I believe there is hope, there are answers, there are ways out...maybe we can all make a little difference...actually I know we can! Each life matters, each person deserves freedom and a healthy life free from mistreatment and pain. This is the same mindset that Josie Carignan had when she started Rescue Her. Each one matters.

Here is Josie's story:

My name is Josie Carignan. I am a wife and a mother of three wonderful children. Rescue Her was born out of the desire in my heart to do SOMETHING to help the helpless in the darkest places; victims of Human Trafficking. They can not help themselves. For a long time I wasn’t sure what to do, and I kept being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem. It is easier just to turn a blind eye. “What could I possibly do that would make a difference?” I kept telling myself.

One day that changed. I had one of those life changing moments with God. I felt him speak to my heart saying: “My light is greater than even this darkness. And it is ok that you can’t help everybody, but you CAN rescue one... and then another, and another.” And out of that moment Rescue Her was born. To sit and do nothing just was no longer an option. I believe that most people want to help, just like I did, they just need to know how.


When I started Rescue Her I was a stay at home mom living in a small town without any real financial means to make an impact. It took a lot of creativity and hard work to see the vision of Rescue Her become a reality. Looking at it now, seeing what God has done through the tiny steps of faith I took, it was worth every bit and I am amazed at the impact we are having as we come together and decide to act.

Maybe you, just like I did, want to do something, but you're not sure how. I hope Rescue Her is an answer to that question, and that you will come on board with us, and together we can rescue many!

Love,
Josie

Some Facts about Human Trafficking

   Here are some of the products you can buy from Rescue Her's website. The proceeds will go to help bring freedom to girls around the world. Rescue Her is partnered with SHE Rescue Home in Cambodia.

    

 

   There are so many ways you can be involved, buying these products is just one way. For more ideas click here.

Love,

Jessica

Photos, videos and information were used with permission and can be found at www.rescueher.org

Krochet Kids International - Some gift ideas for the guys!!

   I'm happy to introduce to you Krochet Kids International, a project based in Northern Uganda and in Peru. I love that they are empowering women who have lived lives of poverty by giving them a chance to make a living and provide for their families. 

Here is their story:

THE CRAFT

Among other things, my older brother taught me how to crochet.  Shortly thereafter I passed the skill onto my friends Travis and Stewart.  Being avid snow sports enthusiasts, we liked the idea of having our own unique headwear on the mountain and, though it was not a normal hobby for high school guys, we reveled in the novelty of it.

Before long our creations caught the attention of our classmates and we began taking custom orders and selling our crocheted masterpieces to anyone who would buy them.  It was a local newspaper in our hometown of Spokane, WA that officially dubbed us the “Krochet Kids”.  At that time our only expense outside of yarn and hooks was a hot-air balloon ride for our prom dates.  With that, one chapter of our story was closed.

A DREAM

College found us three friends at different schools.  Although there were brief resurgences of the crochet craze amongst new friends, we ultimately began exploring new opportunities — surfing, traveling.  During our summer breaks we volunteered in various developing nations, hoping to gain a better understanding of the global community in which we lived.  It wasn’t long before we came to realize how blessed we had been growing up.  The desire was planted within us to help.  To reach out in love.  To make a difference.

It was around this time that an idea was born.  One which involved a familiar trade.  Friends and family encouraged us to teach people in developing countries how to crochet as a means of breaking the cycle of poverty.  At first, I thought the world needed something more drastic than crochet, something much more profound.  That was until Stewart returned home after a summer spent in Uganda.

AN OPPORTUNITY

Stew told us about a people that had been living in government camps for over 20 years due to a rebel army that had ravaged the north part of the country.  Entire generations grew up only knowing the camp and relying solely on the government and aid organizations for their every need.  They were sick and tired of being dependent upon these operating bodies and they wanted to work and provide for their own families.

It was then that we realized the simplicity of crocheting to be its most profound quality.  With hook and yarn people could make amazing products.  Being paid a fair wage to do so would allow for them, for the first time, to provide for their families and begin planning for the future.  By teaching these people to crochet, we would be empowering them to rise above poverty.  We decided right then that we were going to do exactly that.

A GROWING COMMUNITY

The Krochet Kids quickly grew beyond us to incorporate close friends who shared this desire to see Northern Uganda transformed by hook and yarn.  Halfway through college at this point, we applied to become a non-profit organization and began crocheting again to sell hats and share our vision for what we planned to do.

The following summer, after countless skype meetings and late nights, we found ourselves sitting in a simple brick hut with a group of Ugandan women and bags full of yarn.  What followed thereafter remains to be one of the most surreal experiences of my life, as we watched these ladies nearly master crocheting before our eyes.  Tears, primarily from Stewart, were in abundance.

A REALITY

Krochet Kids intl. has continued to grow and evolve in ways we never imagined since we earned our non-profit status in 2007.  Today, over 100 people go to our compound in Northern Uganda everyday to work and to rewrite their stories for the better.  The products created abroad have been well received here at home and the cooperation of our staff in America and artists in Northern Uganda has created a sustainable cycle of employment and empowerment.

Uganda is but one microcosmic example of what we hope to replicate throughout impoverished communities around the globe.  Join with us as we continue to spread the good word of hope and empowerment …

BUY A HAT.  CHANGE A LIFE.

-Kohl Crecelius, CEO & Co-founder

   Inside every hat there is a tag with the signature of the woman who made it. You can go to http://www.krochetkids.org/ and find the profile of the woman who made your hat and write her a personal note of thanks. Here is one of the beautiful women who work for Krochet Kids in Uganda:

AKONGO CHRISTINE

Akongo Christine was abducted as a young girl and forced to be a child soldier for many years. Although she has struggled to forget the trauma that she suffered during that time, Christine says that she is healing with the help of the other women at KKU. Additionally, she is proud to be learning to read and write in the adult literacy courses offered at the compound. She thanks KKU for changing her life and looks forward to her bright future.

DREAM FOR THE FUTURE

“I hope to start my own business so that I never have to return to the difficult life that I had before coming to KKU.”

HOBBIES

“I enjoy keeping visitors, socializing with others, praying, digging and listening to gospel music.”

MESSAGE TO KKI

“Continue in your spirit of giving so that you can change more lives like you have changed mine.”

Some great gift ideas for the guys!

 Cute hats and shirts for the ladies:

   Make a difference this Christmas through the gifts you purchase! You can purchase all of the above items at: http://www.krochetkids.org/shop/

Love,

Jessica

All of the pictures and information were used with permission and can be found at: http://www.krochetkids.org/

Punjammie Cyber Monday Sale

   This July I posted about Punjammies, you can check out my post here, or just go to their site to find out more: http://www.punjammies.com/ and check out their really cute clothing! Right now through November 28th (Cyber Monday) all the punjammies are on sale for $35 and with this code the price should be around $26 with free shipping! Take advantage of this great deal and this opportunity to support women in India this Christmas!

Happy shopping!
Jessica

Punjammies

   I want to introduce you all to an organization called International Princess Project. They are focused on freeing women from lives of slavery and exploitation in India. These women make Punjammies.

  

PUNJAMMIES™ are a premium brand of pajamas hand made by women who were formerly enslaved in prostitution.Crafted from beautiful Indian Sari fabric, PUNJAMMIES™ are perfect for sleeping or relaxing.

100% of the proceeds from PUNJAMMIES™ is used to support women who made them. 

   I am hoping that as you read the following and watch the video, that your heart will be filled with compassion for the thousands upon thousands of women and girls who are exploited around the world. Maybe you never realized how serious and how huge this problem really is.

 

   Instead of shutting our eyes to these kinds of world issues, we can help make a change; by allowing ourselves to recognize and see the suffering that happens in the world, and by being intentional in the choices we make. Choices that will help others have a second chance at life, a chance to be free.

 

The Story of PUNJAMMIES

 

Empowering each woman with an opportunity to learn a marketable skill and become a part of a viable business is the purpose of Punjammies. In providing for her basic need to support herself, she sees that she has value far beyond what the lies have told her. She begins to see her rightful place of value - a princess.

 

 

Each Punjammie is created in an after-care facility for women who have been rescued, released or escaped from a life of forced prostitution. Their lives have been marked by a message - you are a commodity - to be used for other's gain.

Whether sold by her own family, trafficked from another country or driven by desperation, she was a slave to this life. Each story is as unique as each girl.

When one manages to escaped from this life of horror, she has few options where to turn. Aside from the emotional and psychological trauma, women formerly working as prostitutes cannot easily enter schools, return to family systems or secure jobs to support themselves in India. A high quality after-care center is one of the best options a woman has at rebuilding her life.

Holistic aftercare involves quality medical care, emotional safety, education and the tools to create a new way of life for herself.

Empowering each woman with an opportunity to learn a marketable skill and become a part of a viable business is the purpose of Punjammies. In providing for her basic need to support herself, she sees that she has value far beyond what the lies have told her. She begins to see her rightful place of value - a princess.

Every Punjammie purchase creates
A fair trade wage
Deposit into a savings account
Financial support for holistic care
Capacity building for more women to enter the after-care center

Every Punjammies tells the story of a girl who was once voiceless. You can be a part of re-building lives shattered by modern day slavery.

Wear Punjammies. Wear hope. 





You can purchase Punjammies at http://intlprincess.myshopify.com/  They are currently on sale for only $35.00!

Pictures, information and video used with permission from http://intlprincess.org/