Fair Trade with Coconuts

So...we know we promised a sneak peak of fall colors this blog. However, we then realized that it is only mid-May. In the design world, you have to think about six months ahead which means we are up to our ears in gorgeous tweeds and robust corduroys. But the rest of you are just getting ready to sip some iced tea and head to the pool for the first time! Needless to say, we decided to postpone our fall preview for a few more weeks.

Instead, we want to introduce you to someone very special. His name is Bang and this is his story. Ginny, Sak Saum's director, first met Bang several years ago. He was quite a different man then. His wife was the primary bread-winner with her job as a police woman. Unfortunately, Cambodia's police are paid very poorly, contributing to a lot of corruption. You can imagine the loss of dignity and purpose Bang experienced as a man unable to provide for his family. What could be done to help him and his family? The answer? Coconuts.

Sak Saum was able to help Bang establish a business carving coconuts into beautiful buttons, ornaments and even musical instruments. Now Sak Saum practices fair trade with Bang, buying his incredible handicraft to use on our bags and other products. As you can see from the photos below, Bang no longer lives with despair and low-self esteem. His eyes shine with the hope and purpose he has found. What a great God we serve!

Meet Bang...

Hard at work cutting the coconut shell...

 Some necessary tools and uncut buttons.

Sanding coconuts. Did you know they are a natural Cambodian resource?

Hard at work...

And the fruit? Key chains, ornaments, buttons, musical instruments AND hope and dignity.

We use Bang's buttons and rings on our bags quite often.

See you next time!

Mothers & Babies: The World Can Never Have Enough

At Sak Saum, we are all about the dignity of human life. Sak Saum means dignity, after all! We work with women who have had their value, purpose and worth stripped from them -- many times by the very people who should be protecting them. It is heartbreaking to hear their stories. Thankfully, our God is one who restores. And so, though despair may linger for a season, joy does come -- Scripture tells us this to be true and our experience confirms that God is faithful to His word. What a privilege to be a part of His healing process in individual lives.

It should come as no surprise, then, that we want to highlight dignity by celebrating two groups of people near to God's heart -- mothers and babies. Mothering models for us what sacrificial, unconditional love looks like. Babies reveal the fragility and vulnerability of life. Jesus came to earth as a little baby and found Mary's loving, strong arms waiting for him. What a beautiful picture of how these two work together!

So the next two blogs are going to be about mothers and babies. Stay tuned next week to learn about the various projects Sak Saum was involved with to celebrate Mother's Day. 

Below you will find some pics of our new mother and baby line. We hope you will enjoy. Sak Saum loves sharing with you!

(*Click on each photo to see larger version*)

A model of our new nursing cover...

Baby shoes made from raw silk - soon coming in many colors!

Each nursing cover has a coconut ring tie. Coconuts are a natural resource of Cambodia.

Newborn baby hats...co cute!

The nursing covers come in a variety of colors. All made with lightweight cotton and fun prints!