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At Dreamer & Co we operate under the belief that consuming goods in a globalized economy should be more than about ourselves. As consumers we can play a role in improving the lives of others through conscious consumption. Therefore, we have formulated a business that seeks to provide consumers with products produced responsibly, ethically and transparently.
How We Work
We partner with a group of women artisans who have been trained to create handmade paper bead jewelry. We collaborate with a local non-profit organization that originally trained these women in skill and in business. The artisans have been successful selling their jewelry in country to expats and locals. Our hope is to help expand their work by offering jewelry made with their paper beads to a wider market.
We purchase the beads from the artisans at an ethical price in order to ensure they are earning a fair wage. We create designs that we are confident will sell to our target market. The jewelry is then assembled in the U.S. with the hope that we will be able to eventually hire re-settled refugees and train them to assemble the jewelry (we are dreamers—and we strive to make our dreams reality!).
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We estimate our start up costs to be $10,000. Your donation will help us fully launch Dreamer & Co and will help cover the cost of supplying our initial inventory of beads purchased from the women artisans, legal fees, travel costs, initial start up advertising, and other overhead expenses. All of the money donated will be directly invested in our mission: partnering with women in the Horn of Africa through business, helping them realize their potential and feel empowered, dignified, and in turn, flourish in their daily lives.
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute, but you can still be a big help by:
- Sharing the link to this campaign on Facebook, Twitter, Email and Instagram
- Inviting people to follow us on Facebook and Instagram
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Both Baylee and Jessica had the opportunity to visit and work with a local non-profit in the Horn of Africa; Jessica visited in 2014 and Baylee visited in 2015. One of the NGO’s activities is a women’s project house, where they teach low-income women different skills, such as paper bead making, sewing, and baking. In addition, they teach them how to do manage their finances and run a small business. After Baylee’s visit in 2015 she saw how this house was a light in the darkness of poverty. There were smiles and laughter and faces of beautiful women who were proud of their work and had hope in their eyes.
After visiting, both Baylee and Jessica wanted to do more. While Baylee was beginning to dream of a way to sell the women’s necklaces in the U.S., Jessica and her husband were preparing to move to the Horn of Africa to work full-time. Baylee shared her dream of creating a bigger market for their jewelry as a way to provide the women with more income and opportunities for others to have to learn valuable skills and receive a living wage. Jessica was excited for this idea as it is something she looked forward to doing as well. Since then, they have been working to make this business a reality.
Sneak-peak of Dreamer & Co's Designs
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