Artisans

A native of Myanmar’s infamous mining town began Mogok Inklings. Like most children, as a little girl she played in the dirt. But, unlike most children, among the rocks and pebbles in her yard, the earth yielded fragments of rubies and semiprecious stones. Ironically, Mogok’s underground riches do not bring hope or opportunity to the residents of this town. So, the younger generations have been drawn away by the promises of a better life beckoning from the Thai and Chinese borders. Fueled by faith that has grown since her childhood, the little girl has now grown up and is creating jobs using the smaller gemstones that have been cast aside by the mining industry. Mogok Inklings now employs and shares hope with young people who are striving to finish school.

Many years ago, a benefactor of the artisans of More Than Sparrows shared a reading from Matthew 10:31: “So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." These women were sex workers and street vendors, isolated women who were considered the lowest of the low. This reading assured them that they had great value. Knowing their own worth brought them comfort and hope. Through their struggles, they have discovered a sense of identity. They have become more resilient and because of that, they now stand up and say, “We are More than Sparrows.”

Mully Children’s Family developed the Yatta Vocational Training Centre to help alleviate poverty by providing young women an education, job skills training, and mentoring in parenting. This two-year training program rescues an average of 100 exploited young women every year. The training center liberates girls who live on the streets, are victims of abuse, or are orphans. A group of young women at the training center hand-painted necklaces and quilted purses in order to earn a fair wage. All of these young women are being discipled to develop lives shaped by the assurance of eternal hope.

In a small village in southwest Bangladesh, widows frantically search for work in order to take care of their young children. Because the widows are uneducated, they don’t possess marketable skills, and this leaves them with a bleak view for their future.

Peaceful Creations has partnered with several widows to sell their handmade items. Through their partnership with Peaceful Creations, many widows have been able to earn an income while they stayed at home with their children.

In many areas of Uganda, women lose everything to their in-laws when their husbands pass away. Without land, education, or job skills, widows and orphans are left without hope. Proverbs 31 Women artisan group is restoring hope and joy as HIV-positive widows are taught to create beautiful handmade paper bead jewelry.

With their incomes from Proverbs 31 Women, these widows are able to purchase homes and food. Some have bought cows so their children have milk and then they sell the rest. Some have paid off loans. Others have started new businesses. One even put a solar panel on her house!

The mission of Rahab's Rope is to give hope and opportunity to women and girls who are at risk for or have been forced into the commercial sex trade in India. Rahab's Rope provides a safe, loving environment that will enable the women to grow and develop both physically and spiritually. At Rahab’s Rope, at-risk women see the Father’s love in action. They are cared for emotionally, physical, and spiritually, and then they are given a basic education and training in vocational skills. The goal of Rahab’s Rope is to train these women so that they can be successful in their own communities, or so that when they are married, they are able to provide for themselves.

Fleeing persecution in their native countries, such as Sudan, Bhutan, Burma, and Egypt, refugees often encounter new and threatening challenges upon arrival in the United States. Children are drawn into crime, parents are treated with disdain and overworked, and even the most basic tasks seem impossible. Refugee Beads provides hope, a sense of community, and needed income for refugees living in the Atlanta area.

Refugee Sewing Society in Clarkston, Georgia, teaches viable skills to vulnerable refugee women. The women receive payment for the products they sell, helping them earn a supplemental income. They have access to available resources including ESL and citizenship classes, which will allow them to adapt to their new home in America.

Sak Saum in Cambodia believes in change because they see it every day. Sak Saum’s mission is to see people set free and empowered for their future. Sak Saum focuses on helping former victims of sex trafficking and those who may be vulnerable to exploitation. They see how by helping one woman, they are in turn helping her family and her community.

One woman says that before she came to Sak Saum she was reminded every day that she was a burden and had no value. She says, “I felt hopeless and stupid.” But now her life has changed. “Sak Saum believed in me. I want to be a good example in my community. I am not slow and stupid. I am talented. I am smart. I have dignity.”

Sasa Designs works with women and men who face exceptional physical challenges in in obtaining safe, sustainable work. This artisan group is committed to provide long-term employment and empowerment to those who face the most extreme hardships in supporting themselves and their families. Through their partnership with WorldCrafts, the artisans are able to provide nutritious food, shelter, and education for their families. Each piece of jewelry is a reminder of an artisan who once faced utter solitude but has now found a voice as they create jewelry that is shared around the world.