In the Mekong region in Vietnam, many families face a heartbreaking choice. Food or school? Because schooling can consume a quarter of a family’s income, forcing countless children to forgo their future to survive the present. But a recent donation through Crossroads’ Global Hand website is helping to weave a different story: one which will create additional income to parents in need.
One of our Vietnamese partners was given a huge donation from a sustainable
clothing company. They received tens of thousands of surplus materials pieces.
There were fabric scraps, leather, zippers and buttons. As a Vietnamese social
enterprise group, they employ over 100 underprivileged women to create exquisite quilts and bags, each stitch a reflection of their resilience.
The income generated allows sustainable employment for these women, while
allowing them to work from home. Furthermore, any additional income
generated goes to the wider community, helping support the cost of education for hundreds of children. In this community, it will mean they no longer have to choose between school and food. Discarded resources have become tools of
empowerment, breaking the cycle of poverty one colourful quilt at a time.
