Trades of Hope is a unique company.  It’s a direct sales company (don’t bail on me just yet!) but it’s different than most.  See, Trades of Hope was created to form a conduit for artisans in developing countries and others in unfortunate circumstances to sell their creations, enabling their trades to bring them hope.

So here’s how it works: through an organization working locally with an artisan, that artisan (or, more typically, artisan group) partners with Trades of Hope.  They sell Trades of Hope the product at whatever price they (the artisans) deem fair, then Trades of Hope markets and sells it for them via the direct sales model.

The result is a win-win-win situation.  The customer gets a beautiful, handmade product.  The Trades of Hope folks contribute to their households with whatever income they bring in through their role in the chain.  And the artisans get to make a fair living wage from their work, with a much wider distribution than they would be able to get on their own.

But wait; there’s more!

(Sorry; that’s just a silly phrase in our house because it’s so cheesily overused by those late-night infomercials.)  Part of the profits the Trades of Hope company makes are put right back into the communities where the artisans live and work.  What form this takes depends on the need.  One area might need a school, while another needs a well.  Trades of Hope partners closely with the in-country organizations to ensure the needs of each area are being emphasized.

Trades of Hope is a Christian company.  I don’t know whether all of the “allied” organizations are (it’s certainly not a requirement), but I do know at least some of them are, so the heart of the company is truly for ministry, and the gospel is being shared with many, if not all, of the artisans.  I love this testimony:

Products

Full disclosure: I joined Trades of Hope, and the links in this post are mine, so if you order, it helps me out.  But that’s not the primary reason I joined.  I joined because a) I love the products (they’re beautiful!) and b) I really love the opportunity to bless these women.  Supporting Trades of Hope is a concrete way to minister to these women and their communities, in a way that preserves their dignity — helping them while enabling them to be self-sufficient.  That’s what the Body of Christ is supposed to do, right?

With that said, let me offer you a peek at just a few of the items we sell, just to give you an idea.

The Haiti Signature Bracelet is what’s pictured at the very top of this page.  It (together with other clay & paper bead products from Haiti) creates 21 different jobs in Haiti!  This is a whole spectrum of things, all the way from the people who dig the clay and transport it, to the artisans assembling the final product.  Pretty amazing, right?  You buy a beautiful piece of jewelry, and you’re helping 21 people stay employed.

These are a few of my personal favorites, and the very first pieces I ever bought.  The Uganda Wrap Bracelet, the Deep Aqua Layered Necklace, and the Tri-Leaf Earrings.

The majority of what we carry is jewelry and accessories (bags, scarves, etc.), but we do have a handful of guy-friendly options, and a selection of home décor items, journals, etc.  This set of candle holders is one example.

They even have two different size openings, so tealights or tapers can be used.

(Officially, I believe these are discontinued, so I don’t know how much longer we’ll have any in stock, but we have some other beautiful new items now in their place!)