Our goal is to open up the Western market to bags and other textiles produced by a group of female survivors of human trafficking working at a non-profit organization in Kolkata, India called
Destiny Reflection. Better Alternatives for Girls’ Survival (BAGS) will act as their Western distributor. When you donate, you will receive a bag or other hand-made textiles produced by these women. A large percentage of donations above and beyond the cost
of the bags will be returned to Destiny Reflection to provide them with the financial capacity to hire more survivors and grow their business.
Human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is the world’s most horrific human rights atrocity. In Kolkata alone, there are approximately 60,000 sex workers, the majority of
whom have been trafficked. This problem has been exacerbated in Kolkata due to its close proximity to the porous borders of Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, through which approximately 10,000 girls are trafficked every year.
The root cause of human trafficking in India and its neighboring countries is gender inequality. Due to few employment and educational opportunities for females in rural India and surrounding nations, women and girls
from villages willingly choose to leave their homes to pursue promises of employment in cities; such promises often prove false. Alternatively, females are knowingly sold to traffickers by their families. Regardless, these women and girls end up enslaved in
Kolkata’s brothels. If they are lucky to be rescued or escape, organizations like Destiny Reflection are there to provide these women and girls with rehabilitation, skills training and dignified employment.
Destiny Reflection's goals are essential to women's empowerment. Due to the stigma and ostracization associated with prostitution in India, other employment opportunities are hard to come
by and families of formerly trafficked women rarely welcome them back into their homes. Dignified employment opportunities, such as those provided by Destiny Reflection, are essential to supporting the rehabilitation and independence of survivors. Without
such options, they are highly vulnerable to re-trafficking or may willingly choose to re-enter prostitution due to a lack of other avenues.
Through purchasing products produced by the women working at Destiny Reflection, Western consumers can play an active role in supporting human trafficking survivors on their journey to opportunity,
independence and freedom.
In addition to supporting a good cause, all products made at Destiny Reflection are top quality, hand-made, and fair trade. Many of the rewards available as part of this campaign are also
environmentally sustainable. The products are made from upcycled saris that have been donated to Destiny Reflection by Kolkata locals; the saris are cut and stitched into the unique, beautiful accessories that are available through this campaign.
We are currently working with two key products:a sari purse, which you will receive when you donate $25, and a yoga mat bag, which you will receive when you donate $40. When you donate,
we will contact you to determine your color preference for each product.
Thank you for your support. You are helping to stitch a path to women’s freedom!
Please note: Due to Destiny Reflection's current capacity to stitch and the time it takes to ship products from India, it will take between 3 and 6 months for all product-based rewards to
be received.
