Trade As One

Hagar‘s work in Cambodia is remarkable. Their commitment to the most vulnerable people in their region includes those facing domestic abuse, rescued from slavery, kids with learning and physical disabilities, and more. We love being a part of their story, and will jump on every opportunity to spread the word about the work they’re doing on the front lines of poverty. As you watch the video below, remember that your purchases of Hagar’s (now StopStart) bags bring light and life to these kids. Have a look and pass it on.

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If you’d like to see all of the products we carry from Hagar, click here.

Our good friend Bart Edwards runs Hagar on Time in Cambodia. They produce many of the beautiful bags we sell here, (you can see their products here). At our event with Willow Creek Community Church last month, each person who placed an order received one of these luggage tags, and many of the folks at Willow Creek purchased Hagar bags. Bart recorded this message as a thank you. It’s a nice look in to their factory, and a welcome reminder that the purchasing decisions we make make every day have a direct impact in the developing world. Take a look:

I’ve spent the past couple days in Cincinnati at an event called Unbound (see previous post). Hundreds of high school kids are here hearing from people like Justin Dillon from Call+Response and Ben Skinner, author of A Crime so Monstrous.  It’s so encouraging to see the passion and conviction here. These kids desperately want to become the next generation of abolitionists.
During a conversation over dinner, Ben told me that when he was a kid, his Mom took him to Hiroshima, and that from that moment on he hated war. He compared that to the experience these kids are getting this weekend. These kids are not only are aware of slavery, for the rest of their lives they’ll hate it, and fight it.
Tonight they’re marching down to the river, where they’ll have a rally, and a chance to respond to what they learned. Kids will be using their spending to bring justice to Cambodia, India, Guatemala, and Thailand. Should be fun.

This weekend we’re going to be a part of an amazing event in Cincinnati called Unbound. It’s getting some cool press (check it out here) because it’s led by students. The event has its roots in a trip to Haiti, where one of the students saw the horrors of human slavery firsthand, and returned home with a passion to expose one of the world’s darkest secrets: that 27 million of trapped in slavery.
Trade as One will be there to talk about how the money we spend here in America directly affects those 27 million people. We’ll be featuring Hagar, Nightlight, Divine Chocolate, and Handmade Expressions and the work they do on this issue. If you’re in the Cincinnati area this weekend, come see us!