We've been a bit delinquent with KVI Fun Fridays. And we apologize most sincerely. Unforeseen circumstances prevented us from effectively delivering on bringing you AWESOME Friday fun.
But we're going to make it up to you!
How?
We're offering daily specials on our website!!
Today we have an online special on our Arianne silk bag. Check it out here.
Remember that with KVI you can give the gift that gives two smiles - one to the lucky person who received the gift and another to the artisan who made the product, who can now earn a fair and decent living.
It’s an atypical path for an MBA, especially one that went to a school that is known mainly for its excellence in finance. But yet, here I am, partnering up with other social entrepreneurs (namely Glenn and Rebecca) to ensure that persons in other parts of the world can lead a better life. It’s something that’s truly close to my heart.
I believe in using the skills God has blessed me with to make a difference in the lives of those around me. And what better way than marketing fair trade products. I’ve been trained to be an analytical marketer and I intend on using those skills to help artisans become economically self-sufficient. I’m not into giving handouts; I’m into helping people use their skills to support themselves.
Rebecca’s speech at the Rochester chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) got me thinking again about why I made the decision to join her and Glenn to develop KVI. I could very well have been in hot pursuit of a corporate job which would guarantee a relatively stable income and a host of benefits. However the more and more I thought about it, the more and more I realized that life wasn’t for me.
I wanted to be able to know that what I was doing was going to make a significant impact on the lives of others. I wanted more than simply going out there and earning a paycheck. Albeit I could have donated a portion of my paycheck to a non-profit, I wanted to be a major part of the process. I wanted to get my hands dirty (in a manner of speaking).
Of course foregoing the cushy job means taking a greater risk. Paychecks may not flow as frequent nor be as high but you know what, I’ll be happy, because I will be doing what I am passionate about. And if you are passionate about something that has great potential then you’re going to see it through until you make it a great success.
Of course, along the road to success, I’m not trying to put myself in the poor house; happiness doesn’t buy groceries! However I realized I wanted to structure my life and career in such a way that I would always be delighted at the thought of what I was working on, even if that meant earning lower than what someone with my skills could command. Furthermore my trust in God is as such that He’ll provide opportunities for me to earn a decent living if I continue to do His work. And He hasn’t failed me yet!
So yeah, it’s an atypical path for an MBA, but it’s my path and I’m pretty sure it’s one I’m supposed to be on.
For those of you trying to find your path, be sure to watch the above video by Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life.
Many of us have been very lucky; we have been brought up in homes and societies where we have numerous opportunities. It’s often our choice how we take advantage of those opportunities. For example, in Barbados, education and healthcare are free, available to everyone at any echelon of society. I was able to gain a scholarship to come to US to pursue my MBA degree.
While many of us are lucky, many are not so lucky. There is no free education; there is no access to free healthcare and day to day survival is extremely difficult. These places are the hunting grounds of modern day slave traders who prey on the innocent. The US State Department’s “Trafficking in Persons” 2008 report estimated that at any given time around 12.3 million are in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor and sexual servitude. The most rampant of these is sex trafficking.
Children as young as 4 are forced to work in brothels catering to the sick cravings of the men who visit. According to HumanTrafficking.org, women and children from rural areas are often tricked into sexual exploitation. Many believe that they are going to the urban part of the country for domestic employment but then are often coerced into the sex trade. The reasons these horrendous incidents occur can usually be linked to poverty and lack of education. Many have no idea of the dangers and risks of the international sex trade.
In Cambodia human trafficking is big business and, according to a recent article in the Phnom Penh Post, the economic crisis is fuelling trafficking as jobs dry up at home. The US State Department reports that women and children account for the greatest percentage of those exploited through the sex trade.
This is what our supplier Hagar Designs, works hard at preventing. The company promotes social development and economic empowerment for those most at risk for human trafficking. It is a proud advocate of the social enterprise model, teaching women and children skills they can use to be economically self-sufficient. This is very important because even those who manage to escape their captors find themselves back in the slave trade as a means of survival.
All our products from Hagar Designs are made by women who are striving for a better life for themselves and their families, one that is free of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. When we say your purchase makes a difference in the lives of others, we truly mean it.
This blog is affiliated with KVI (Kingdom Ventures Inc. ), an e-tailer of Fair Trade products such as handmade jewelry, scarves and handbags.
KVI was started by Glenn and Rebecca Fadner - and you can read all about our story here.
This blog is our entrepreneurial journey into the world of Fair Trade. And we want to take you along for the ride! We’ll show you how promoting fair trade practices helps make a difference in the lives of people around the world. We'll share with you why we've made the choices we've made in life and what continually motivates us to help others. We also hope to inspire you to do great things in your life and in the world.
We hope you'll find this blog's content informative, inspiring and uplifting. Use it to learn about Fair Trade and the rich culture of our artisans; use it to find out about developments in Fair Trade; or use it to educate us and other readers about how we can further effect positive change in the world!
