holey baloney

Dear Friends & Visitors.. Today’s post is a call for everyone to take some action and help these Cambodian women.

No. I’m not asking for money contributions. Though a nice gesture, it will not help these women in the long-run. I’m plugging for a friend, who is doing something really beautiful for these women in Cambodia. She has started a social entrepreneurship which teaches women in Cambodia to make bags for sale. She’s teaching them a skill and giving them a means to support themselves and their family. It’s called BLOOM.

Do you like GAP? Abercrombie & Fitch? Do you know how much the workers in Cambodia are being paid a month to produce clothes you pay tens of US$ for? US$50 a month. That’s barely enough to cover their rent and food, much less able to put any savings aside. These workers are forced to be stuck in a rut. They don’t make enough money to upgrade themselves. They don’t have the means to provide for their children. They will be forever stuck in the vicious cycle of poverty. However, BLOOM gives them a chance to get out of this cycle. BLOOM offers them US$75 - 120 a month, more than enough to cover rent, food and have some savings for education and other training purposes. BLOOM gives them hope. Hope that they, or their children, will no longer live in poverty. Hope, for a better life in the future.

For 2 years, Diana has been putting all her efforts into BLOOM. After giving up her high-flying career, she was at a loss to what had she accomplished in her life. On a chance visit to Cambodia, she felt for these women and embarked on a no-turning-back journey.

More about BLOOM & it’s missions (click images to enlarge):

Lest you think the bags are ugly and that if you buy one it’ll only be because you’re doing a charity, fret not. These bags are eco-friendly, made from recycled fish-feed bags and are 100% hand-crafted and designed by the small team of employees that BLOOM has. The wide variety of bags is comparable to branded products, and design is still fashionable despite the origins.

BLOOM currently does not have an overseas agent to help them to market it overseas, so what I want to do is to help them start out. I will be taking orders for the below bags for the period of September. Hopefully we will make it to be shipped by Christmas, but if not, you can always delay Xmas presents by a few days/weeks. =)

Products (click images to enlarge):

If anyone would like to order, please email REENE@HOLEYBALONEY.COM with the subject BLOOM BAGS ORER. Currently only accepting Singapore orders. If you like it to be shipped overseas, it will have to be shipped again from here.

Please email me your NAME & CONTACT number together with your orders. Paypal transfers preferred as it can accept USD. Paypal email to transfer to is reene_x@yahoo.com. Shipping charges will be divided amongst the total number of bags, and collected post-arrival of the goods.

This is a trial run of a possible partnership between me & BLOOM. NO AGENCY FEE WILL BE CHARGED. I’m not running a business.

Let’s all do something for these women who are eking out a living based on their own two hands, and get something beautiful in return!

Please feel free to link this post to your sites or promote to your friends. All enquires please post in the comments. Thank you.

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