To read more about our ten trips to Guatemala, check out “The Story of Nothing if Not Intentional.”
I think this is the coolest, most awesome giveaway I’ve ever done.
Is it because the winner is getting something of high monetary value? (Nope.)
Is it because the prize is something you’ve been drooling over and begging to have gifted to you for years and years and years? (Probably not.)
So why then?
It’s because I truly believe in this company and stand behind its purpose.
Socially Conscious Jewelry and Gifts
Crafty Hands Guatemala is taking TRASH and turning it into necklaces, bags, earrings, pens, and bracelets.
Okay, so that’s pretty cool, right? Eco-friendly, green gift ideas? Sweet!
But the best part is that the people who are making the jewelry and trinkets are former dump dwellers. These are people who sorted and scavenged through other people’s rotten food and stinky diapers to find food and scraps of things to sell.
And while they are now earning an income by making jewelry for Crafty Hands, the dump continues to provide sustenance and raw materials for 11,000 people. 11,000.
It’s the physical size of twenty seven football fields.
And even though we were high on a hill when we took these pictures, the smell was oppressive.
Those are buzzards flying overheard as people swarm the incoming trash truck.
Crafty Hands is helping these survivors learn a marketable trade (craft making) and earn a decent income.
So what does this have to do with the giveaway? Well, if you win, you can choose from one of these two bracelets or the set of earrings made by the families of Crafty Hands. I purchased them when our friend Berta (our Guatemalan friend who is the founder of Crafty Hands) visited last year.
Can you tell what they’re made of?
Magazines!
Don’t worry–they didn’t come out of the dump. The magazines were collected from stores who were going to discard them because they didn’t sell. Some of the other jewelry is made from soda can tabs. They come from hotels that collect them with the recycling.
Awesome, right?
Okay, so while I want you to win the giveaway, I also want you to help Crafty Hands.
How?
#1–Shop for Christmas gifts through the Crafty Hands Etsy Shop. Shipping looks like a flat $5 per item to the U.S. Buying from Crafty Hands is my biggest request! (80% of the money goes to the families for food, medicine, home repairs, etc. 20% is used for Crafty Hands cell phone, internet, gas, and salary. That doesn’t leave much to cover expenses. In fact, the director is not currently being paid. See below.)
#2--Share this post and giveaway with friends and encourage THEM to buy from the Crafty Hands Etsy Shop.
#3–Check out Potter’s House, a ministry that focuses on helping the children and families of the dump. There’s info on their site regarding child sponsorship. We got to tour the facility on one of our trips, and it is a great service to the people there!
#4–If you’d like to invest in Crafty Hands, consider sponsoring the founder, Berta. Berta hasn’t received a salary since February, and she’s drained her savings. She needs $4,800 for the next four months. She’s currently looking for another job to help supplement, but I believe she is a great investment. I’m happy to connect her with you if you have a gift (of any size) to give. This will help Crafty Hands to continue to grow.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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What an idea creator you are! I saw your Eco friendly jewelry which you have made from the wastage things and that’s really wonderful to see. The important thing is that not only you made some beautiful jewelry but also you have saved our environment by producing these handmade jewelry and I congratulate to your great attempts. Heads Up!