Kearny Alliance Hong Kong Baptist University scholars promote products hand-made by disabled Cambodians at charity sales week
Social enterprise offers silk ornaments, including trees, stars, elephants, dolphins, birds to help improve people's lives.
- (1888PressRelease) March 12, 2012 - To enable hardworking poor and disabled in Cambodia to help themselves out of poverty, Kearny Alliance scholars at Hong Kong Baptist University (http://www.kearnyalliance.org) will promote hand-made ornament gift sets at Sales Week from Mar. 12 to 16 at booth C17, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) Level 4, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.
Silk Cambodian crafts including trees, bells, stars, deer and birds will be offered with all sales revenues directly supporting the Cambodian makers who earn their living making these quality items.
With the support of Student Affairs of HKBU, this social enterprise activity is organized and executed by scholars in Bachelors of Marketing, Finance and Masters of Journalism.
"By promoting Cambodian exports for non-profit purpose, Kearny Alliance scholars can make a direct contribution to helping others - as we too have been helped. It is our way of giving back - and helping others less fortunate than ourselves," said Sally Yan, a Kearny Alliance volunteer scholar. "This also gives us the opportunity to broaden our knowledge of sales and marketing. We are passionate about igniting awareness of Kearny Alliance's missions among HKBU students."
Unique ornaments made by disabled producers in Cambodia
Producers of the items on sale are landmine and polio victims, the deaf and disabled. They are employed by organizations committed to fair-trade principles - all members of the Artisans' Association of Cambodia.
One producer, 27-year-old Chanratana Ben, makes ornaments at Watthan Artisans Cambodia, a worker-run cooperative for the disabled. She is stricken with polio, and when she was four months old her left arm was handicapped due to an accident and lack of access to medical care. As she cannot walk, her cousins carried her on their backs to and from school, enabling her to complete 5th grade.
Making Christmas ornaments, she earns up to $80 per month. She said: "I am happy to work because I can earn money to support myself. I hope to become a fashion tailor in the future."
The more products concerned students buy will directly support Chanratana and many others like her.
Chanratana Ben, a 27-year-old producer at Watthan Artisans Cambodia and polio victim, pictured with Christmas ornaments she produced.
About The Kearny Alliance
The Kearny Alliance (http://www.kearnyalliance.org), a US nonprofit 501 (c) (3) foundation, partners with other international organizations to further its mission of 'Aid through Trade', to advance international development and poverty alleviation through trade-related business, education, training and applied research.
Key programmatic areas include:
* Livelihood development at the grassroots level: Through the social enterprise Export Service Centre (http://www.exportservicecentre.com/cambodia) in Cambodia, the Kearny Alliance assists small producers who are least able to export direct to participate in the global economy.
* Job creation for small & medium producers: Through the Developing Country Export Assistance Program (http://kearnyalliance.org/sourcingreports), the Kearny Alliance connects smaller exporters in developing Asia with buyers worldwide. Surveys of beneficiaries show that suppliers have received more than $800,000 in export orders, and they expect more than $6,000,000 to develop in the next 12 months.
* Education & skills development: The Kearny Alliance offers stipend support for students from Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, the USA and mainland China to study in Asia and the US. The dozens of Kearny Alliance Scholars receive internships and on-the-job training in export-related companies and organizations in 10 countries.
* Trade policy research: One major initiative is The Future of US China Trade .Com (http://www.futureofuschinatrade.com), an online center for data, analysis, and insightful discussion on U.S. - China trade offering Forum Discussions, News & Analysis, Facts & Figures, Discussion Outcomes, Book reviews and Meet the Experts. This was developed from The Kearny Alliance - Arizona State University forums on China, trade and the world economic order high-level series of interlinked meetings - held in Phoenix and Beijing which explored potential solutions to issues and challenges of mutual benefit to China-US trade relations.
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