tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72351953798845021362024-02-21T15:54:19.991+08:00Gifts and Graces Fair Trade FoundationGifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-50247970219018833552014-08-21T13:33:00.002+08:002014-08-21T13:33:34.696+08:00Sharing a photo essay on the story behind Gifts and Graces' premium Retazo Collection. These special bags are made by disadvantaged women sewers in Pandacan, Manila, and Boni, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. Special thanks to George Moya who conceptualized the photo essay with us, took the beautiful photos, and helped us with the copy.
Hope you enjoy it and support this beautiful collection that changes lives.
<iframe src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/38198647" width="427" height="356" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="border:1px solid #CCC; border-width:1px; margin-bottom:5px; max-width: 100%;" allowfullscreen> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom:5px"> <strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/lovegregorie/retazo-collection-photo-essay-38198647" title="Retazo collection photo essay" target="_blank">Retazo collection photo essay</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/lovegregorie" target="_blank">Love Gregorie</a></strong> </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-8265882638370487532014-07-24T21:46:00.000+08:002014-07-24T21:47:39.816+08:00From the Executive Director<h2>
<i>On Making Gifts for People</i></h2>
<br />
Hi Everyone, Every now and then I share a reading with the Gifts and Graces team that I felt was particularly inspiring. Among my favorite sources are Brain Pickings, Farnam Street, Mark Miller, and Fr. Shay Cullen. I've been encouraged to share this with the larger Gifts and Graces community. So this series<i> From the Executive Director </i>is a peek inside communications within the team. We hope that in this way we can open our hearts to let you see what moves us. For our inaugural post for this series, here's something I shared just recently on bringing joy by making gifts for people. Enjoy! - Greg<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">July 13, 2014</span></span><br />
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Dear Team,</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">
Sharing an inspiring read for the week from one of my favorite blogs Brain Pickings Weekly on why money is not wealth. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">"If <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">we</span> didn't invest so much of ourselves in what <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">we</span> <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">do</span> – which includes what </span><em style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">we</span></em><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> ourselves believe, what </span><em style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">we</span></em><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> wish existed, and what direction </span><em style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">we</span></em><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> want to move the world in – then why bother doing it at all? As John Green put it, it's about </span><a href="http://brainpickings.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=13eb080d8a315477042e0d5b1&id=b2260a39a4&e=01aa50979b" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">making gifts for people</a><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> and putting them into the world, hoping those gifts might bring them joy."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This expresses for me why <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">we</span> <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">do</span> what <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">we</span> <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">do</span> - t<span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">o</span> move the world in the direction <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">we</span> believe it should move. And what a great way to think about our <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">work</span> and our products - making gifts, literally and figuratively, to bring joy. So when <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">we</span> <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">do</span> our product development, when we design our projects and programs, one simple question to ask is: Will this bring joy?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">You can read the entire article here: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/07/02/how-to-make-wealth-paul-graham-hackers-painters/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.brainpickings.org/<wbr></wbr>index.php/2014/07/02/how-to-<wbr></wbr>make-wealth-paul-graham-<wbr></wbr>hackers-painters/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">The article from this week's newsletter is a great read too.</span></div>
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<h2 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: fenwick-1, fenwick-2, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: -2px; line-height: 31px; margin: 0px 0px 4px;">
<a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/07/07/buddhist-economics-schumacher/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Buddhist Economics: How to Stop Prioritizing Goods Over People and Consumption Over Creative Activity</a></h2>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/07/07/buddhist-economics-schumacher/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.brainpickings.org/<wbr></wbr>index.php/2014/07/07/buddhist-<wbr></wbr>economics-schumacher/</a></span></div>
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Have a great week ahead.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">
LGMP</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-18470579201628065662014-07-03T20:49:00.001+08:002014-07-03T20:50:49.999+08:00Coffee Break Conversations with Ms. Vie Reyes<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">COFFEE BREAK CONVERSATIONS WITH MS. VIE REYES</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">By Mikaela Reyes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This past weekend, I went on a coffee eco-tour in the
Sagada, Mt. Province with my fellow Kaya Collaborative colleagues. Part of the
tour was a coffee tasting session in a restaurant called Bana’s Café. My
friends and I trekked to the area where the coffee fruits grew and checked out
the coffee-making & roasting process that the community implemented under
the business model set by Bote Central, a social enterprise that hopes to
revolutionize the Philippine coffee landscape. And, of course, we were offered
the product of their hard work: Civet coffee. The civet cat eats the coffee
fruit, which allows the coffee seedlings to be transformed by the cat’s
digestive enzymes. When the seeds are extracted from their feces and cleaned,
it is ready to roast and be turned into high-class coffee. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88wAVYeEx8bWZ2x2kLMhKLym2BDiY_o8oe-0m4rajiQf1vHDOqpKnYVwA4lAHFT3zpfZSu2BQQ3Lf4YV6s6afOJYl_c_8uKVYZdP_u9_-A0iLhLJsmFVhnuTdoQxnqStUFd9OanxPFjU/s1600/civet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88wAVYeEx8bWZ2x2kLMhKLym2BDiY_o8oe-0m4rajiQf1vHDOqpKnYVwA4lAHFT3zpfZSu2BQQ3Lf4YV6s6afOJYl_c_8uKVYZdP_u9_-A0iLhLJsmFVhnuTdoQxnqStUFd9OanxPFjU/s1600/civet.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cup of delicious civet coffee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Little did I know, three days later, Gifts & Graces was
going to present me with the opportunity to learn about the workings of Bote
Central through their founder, Mrs. Vie Reyes. Through our first “Coffee Break
Conversations,” Ms. Reyes discussed the brief history of the discovery of
coffee, the business model that Bote Central implemented, and the fair trade
practices that their organization applies to directly benefit the coffee
farming communities in the provinces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VYgnikH3waY/U7VO9hDNGrI/AAAAAAAABIQ/ea6NLDkzt6M/s1600/coffee2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VYgnikH3waY/U7VO9hDNGrI/AAAAAAAABIQ/ea6NLDkzt6M/s1600/coffee2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ms. Vie Reyes talking about coffee, fair trade and her social enterprise, Bote Central</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Coffee was discovered when monks and missionaries observed
that goats were extremely hyperactive, even at night, upon eating coffee
berries from a tree. The monks decided to try out the berries themselves. They
were delighted to find that coffee kept them wide awake even during the long
hours of evening prayer. And the rest, as they say, is history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Coffee was discovered through the observation of goats, who
were extremely hyperactive, even at night, upon eating berries from a tree.
Monks and missionaries decided to try this diet out. They discovered that it
kept them wide awake even during the long hours of evening prayer. Coffee’s
reputation then spread all across the globe. If coffee started out with goats,
fair trade started out with the coffee industry. When it was observed that
coffee farmers didn’t get their fair cost, fair trade industries started to
kick in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Reyes explained that, currently, the value chain for coffee
starts out with the smallholders of the beans, then to the agents, to the consolidators,
and finally, to the coffee buying stations such as Nescafe. However, this
process did not leave a big enough impact to the livelihood of the
smallholders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Instead, they proposed a smaller scale value chain to be
implemented in coffee communities: from the smallholders to community-based
COOPs/POs/COs to community-based or local markets and eventually to export
markets or markets outside of the community. As a fair trade enterprise, they
offer goods and services to the communities to aid them in their coffee-making
processes (ex. roasters) and also teach them how to reach their broader market.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This model implemented a value-adding strategy. Usually,
farmers gain revenue by selling the raw green coffee beans that they collect
from their land, without actually understanding their potential values. Green
coffee beans are served 1.2x the value per kilo, roasted coffee beans are sold
twice as much, while one cup of coffee is sold for 12x as much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vyz694KEe1U/U7VPJYr6vxI/AAAAAAAABIY/kLEgLrVHDFk/s1600/coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vyz694KEe1U/U7VPJYr6vxI/AAAAAAAABIY/kLEgLrVHDFk/s1600/coffee.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Gifts & Graces staff members sipping coffee while listening in on the conversation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bote Central, the Philippine Coffee Alliance and many other
coffee revolutionaries focus on the farmers, the sector that needs the biggest
help. They tell organized farmer clusters to get seedlings from communities,
not from corporate sources, they aid them in their sourcing of quality green
beans, and lastly, they make innovations to help communities prepare coffee at
no extra cost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bote Central now has 43 community-based coffee enterprises
all over the Philippines implementing the same business model as what I had
experienced in Sagada. In these areas, Bote Central was able to help the
community members start to own the coffee that they were producing. They
instilled in the worker’s minds that it was their craft and so helped them take
charge of their businesses. These community-based coffee enterprises are
developing and Vie Reyes plans to expand to many more areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hopefully, in the future, more collaborations
and conversations between Bote Central and Gifts & Graces will arise as a
result of the emerging industry of fair trade. Thank you once again to Ms. Vie
Reyes for </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">an insightful conversation!</span></span><!--EndFragment--><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">---------</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Mikaela Reyes, an incoming sophomore from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, is the Kaya Collaborative intern for Gifts & Graces this summer.</i></span></span><br />
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<!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-40512329523232489682014-02-11T22:04:00.000+08:002014-02-11T22:04:04.123+08:00Conversations: Sheree Gotuaco shares her insights<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS2rCYyDnnq88FOApzFCwNBWHweY_Jqjz84KMFYz-grhICkN23V6HTTstZMeoREX2p5mUPIixuKLcm0dUbqJTP4lr43zTCfYC_t57agi8WkyPYfRXIPlwQsnlKRW75qJE8_1X9JEzZTs/s1600/Conversations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS2rCYyDnnq88FOApzFCwNBWHweY_Jqjz84KMFYz-grhICkN23V6HTTstZMeoREX2p5mUPIixuKLcm0dUbqJTP4lr43zTCfYC_t57agi8WkyPYfRXIPlwQsnlKRW75qJE8_1X9JEzZTs/s1600/Conversations.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AM1GXWQxxxQ/Uvoq-mwztDI/AAAAAAAABHk/AFtRhaRJsTU/s1600/Freeway.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-81TyoS4QCnQ/UvorC4tC58I/AAAAAAAABHs/p1Fn8x5rQn4/s1600/Sheree.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-81TyoS4QCnQ/UvorC4tC58I/AAAAAAAABHs/p1Fn8x5rQn4/s1600/Sheree.png" height="200" width="145" /></a><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AM1GXWQxxxQ/Uvoq-mwztDI/AAAAAAAABHk/AFtRhaRJsTU/s1600/Freeway.png" height="200" width="174" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">For this Conversation, we catch up with Sheree Gotuaco, CEO of Elite Garments, home of the Freeway, Ensemble, and Solo brands, and one of G&G's newest Directors. This interview was conducted by Lexie Shulze for the Metro Society feature. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Name:
Sheree Roxas-Chua Gotuaco</span></b></div>
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</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>High
School attended</b>: Immaculate Conception Academy (High School)</span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>College attended</b>: University of Southern California (BS Marketing and Management),
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles (Fashion
Design)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b></b></i></span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><b> </b></i></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><b>Can you tell us a bit about your childhood? </b></i></span></span> </h4>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">My
nuclear family was close. We always spent time together (my parents
and 2 younger siblings) during holidays or summer breaks, even if we
were already studying in the US. My parents both work, but they were
almost always around for dinner and weekends. Like many children from
private schools, my life was considered sheltered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><i> </i></b></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><i>How
did you get involved with Gifts and Graces?</i></b> </span>
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</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njiLbSomY24/UvorH0xNjlI/AAAAAAAABH4/elxHwdNip_U/s1600/074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njiLbSomY24/UvorH0xNjlI/AAAAAAAABH4/elxHwdNip_U/s1600/074.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Marivic
(Limcaoco) called me up to ask me if I would like to join and be a Director of
Gifts and Graces as Sandy requested. They thought that my experience
in retail would help in getting more ideas to improve the marketing
and selling aspect of the products. Right now, I help in product
development (creating collections for existing products) and giving
suggestions and guidelines for retail penetration. I just joined the
group this August and have been enjoying my involvement. It feels
good to help and be creative at the same time.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><b>
</b></i></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><b>Were
you always into outreach growing up or did you only recently get into it? </b></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I
was part of the Social Action Student Staff in ICA. We visited some
less fortunate areas. I remember that there was a time we were asked
to go for an overnight in one of the communities, but my parents did
not allow me. I cried a lot that night. During college and after,
unfortunately, I did not have much opportunity to get involved in
outreach programs.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><b>What was
your moment of epiphany to devote time to Gifts and Graces?</b></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">When
Marivic called me up and told me about G & G, it sounded very
interesting but I was also concerned about adding more responsibilities to my very full plate. But when she explained that I
did not really need to implement the plans, but would just be guiding
and working with a full team, it became a lot less daunting and more
exciting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Two
main things attracted me to G & G, the first is also to be able to
have the chance to expose my children to these communities. My
children do not have much exposure to less fortunate communities
outside family, friends and school, and through this I can hopefully
make them be more aware of the realities outside their sheltered
world.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Second,
using creativity and ideas through products and helping the
communities at the same time sounded very exciting. Working with
other directors and the G and G team are also definite pluses.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
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<i><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span></b></i></h4>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span></b></i></h4>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">What
message would you like to leave the readers about their
social responsibility to the less fortunate? </span></b></i></h4>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">At
this early stage, I have not seen the end fruits of my contributions
yet, but from my standpoint now, I see the personal benefits like how
it feels good to help and be part of the process.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span>
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</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-13170774870595257252014-01-09T22:51:00.000+08:002014-01-09T22:57:30.801+08:00Love in Business A few years ago, at a training session for microfinance executives, someone joked that those of us working in microfinance should automatically gain entry to heaven. I took that sentiment and shared it with the social workers in the NGO I was working with at the time. I think they are the real everyday heroes, working in education, health, advocacy to better the lives of the urban poor beneficiaries of the foundation. This would not be possible without love.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwwU1N20g8norCu8CsHs_JVdtOAwGceba0Od0NU-sQ1Kmofsmq-jVaUZWKBt6eOfwEcNGZmuyoT3JGx-kPVSPu5UI5Acurf3iS_hLVpukXAxtShghO0rcQsjhlHphB_YIfPjzAEOP_mg/s1600/smiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwwU1N20g8norCu8CsHs_JVdtOAwGceba0Od0NU-sQ1Kmofsmq-jVaUZWKBt6eOfwEcNGZmuyoT3JGx-kPVSPu5UI5Acurf3iS_hLVpukXAxtShghO0rcQsjhlHphB_YIfPjzAEOP_mg/s1600/smiling.jpg" /></a></div>
I realize it may sound strange talking about love in business but at the core of it, I believe that's what drives social entrepreneurs and social development workers. And the concept is not limited to social entrepreneurs. Read this great blog post <a href="http://business2adifferentbeat.wordpress.com/2013/12/27/love-in-business/#!" target="_blank">Love-in-Business</a> from Jennifer Ann Gordon on her blog Business to a Different Beat. The title was so appropriate that I borrowed it for this post.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sulqQ61Zcr4/Us60diiy__I/AAAAAAAABHA/IFXebnu0unU/s1600/Women+network.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sulqQ61Zcr4/Us60diiy__I/AAAAAAAABHA/IFXebnu0unU/s1600/Women+network.png" height="249" width="320" /></a> It is from love that springs the value of treating others the way we want to be treated - to treat our employees with compassion, to listen because we want to be heard; it is because of love that we treat our customers ethically, produce the best product possible, and provide responsive customer service; it is love that fuels our generosity that enables us to give of ourselves as mentors or as supporters in a network. The list goes on. <br />
<br />
Please feel free to share your thoughts with us and other examples of love in your workplace. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-90743692440460354142014-01-03T07:00:00.000+08:002014-01-03T07:00:06.904+08:00A Brief Primer on Fair TradeSharing a presentation on the basics of Fair Trade<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/358068?rel=0" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<b> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/euforic/fair-trade-a-tool-for-creating-greater-market-access-for-acp-small-producers" target="_blank" title="Fair Trade: a tool for creating greater market access for ACP small producers">Fair Trade: a tool for creating greater market access for ACP small producers</a> </b> from <b><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/euforic" target="_blank">Euforic Services</a></b> </div>
<br />
<br />
Do help us spread the word by sharing this post. Let's make buying Fair Trade a lifestyle choice to support small producers and equitable trade practices. <div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-15950989022602096462013-12-31T13:26:00.001+08:002013-12-31T13:26:27.060+08:00Happy New Year!This year Zuellig chose G&G's upcycled origami stars to adorn their Christmas tree. The tree, designed by Ito Kish, featured star and snowflake ornaments in red, plum, and silver. Several ornaments were also hanging from velvet ribbons in the Zuellig lobby and stars were added to the wreath.<br />
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The stars were made by craftsmen in Pandacan, Manila. Given that the new Zuellig building is LEEDS certified, we think its a great fit with G&G.<br />
<br />
We hope you had a green holiday this year and may we all live more sustainably in 2014.<br />
Happy New Year!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvsACvFyLhyphenhyphen1IScu1rYyAj69AdIX30KhoCY34V-qf4YTg2xgyJxEd3yVMZpOg_D47gQpBsognZrYEGpfy9E7YkV5ny_8BUU5Ark9lxHUC6nx37QpNpq2rW8WkHZ3hVe_LUT4bYUtoHkg/s1600/Origami+stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvsACvFyLhyphenhyphen1IScu1rYyAj69AdIX30KhoCY34V-qf4YTg2xgyJxEd3yVMZpOg_D47gQpBsognZrYEGpfy9E7YkV5ny_8BUU5Ark9lxHUC6nx37QpNpq2rW8WkHZ3hVe_LUT4bYUtoHkg/s640/Origami+stars.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-49415110536186552712013-12-30T07:00:00.000+08:002013-12-30T07:00:01.493+08:00We've Moved!One of our blessings for 2013 was we were able to move to a larger office in May. The office houses the G&G team, our 3 vintage aparadors, and a small showroom.<br />
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Our new address is Unit 114 Mile Long Building Amorsolo Street Makati City.<br />
Here's a view of our window. <br />
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We'd love to have you come and visit.<br />
Happy New Year!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zsTfjWIq1dSLTeM2edixsuDiI9kTgyPuC4D3u9o9ERXwX50gA8Mrz4M4M4yGqVx0Hjd_z49-cXTiPbnIRfdkoLGef6tMukhNaOGpKVcuUtjiBk0af-YodxyasiYm2j2uiHX-7pAWNLs/s1600/G&G+Office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zsTfjWIq1dSLTeM2edixsuDiI9kTgyPuC4D3u9o9ERXwX50gA8Mrz4M4M4yGqVx0Hjd_z49-cXTiPbnIRfdkoLGef6tMukhNaOGpKVcuUtjiBk0af-YodxyasiYm2j2uiHX-7pAWNLs/s400/G&G+Office.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-53866655231778682922013-12-27T07:00:00.000+08:002013-12-27T07:00:03.591+08:0010 Products for Better Aid<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="356" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/29310846?rel=0" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px;" width="427"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<b> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/Devex/development-hacks-10-products-for-better-aid" target="_blank" title="#Development hacks: 10 products for better aid">#Development hacks: 10 products for better aid</a> </b> from <b><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/Devex" target="_blank">Devex</a></b><br />
<br />
<b>Sharing a great presentation on 10 innovative products in aid delivery. </b> </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-71953456594117053182013-12-23T16:36:00.001+08:002013-12-23T16:36:14.870+08:00Wishing You a Merry Christmas <br />
It's that blessed time of year again where we count our blessings and reflect on what it means to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. At Gifts and Graces, we
believe that the work that we do is one of the most important blessings
we have - the opportunity to change lives through designing great products and telling the stories of our partner craftsmen, artisans, micro-entrepreneurs, and NGOs.<br />
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2013 was a special year - we celebrated women's month, held a comprehensive capacity building program, and grew retail distribution among many other things. We could not have accomplished all that we have without the help of partners, donors, and clients. This is a great big <b>hug and Thank You!</b> to everyone who has blessed us and our partners with their support, making it possible for us to continue the work that we do. <br />
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As we count our blessings, we also look forward to the year ahead. Although the Philippines was struck by a great tragedy in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan, Filipinos remain strong, resilient, and hopeful. Gifts and Graces remains committed to its partners affected by the monster storm and will continue to seek greater opportunities to be part of the region's and the country's recovery.<br />
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Today we renew our commitment to poverty reduction and inclusive growth. We look forward to your joining us in this gratifying journey.<br />
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In behalf of the Gifts and Graces Board of Directors and the Gifts and Graces team, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed 2014!<br />
<br />
- Greg<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-27366341563012911182013-12-21T13:19:00.000+08:002013-12-21T13:19:50.728+08:00Ex Libris for some Holiday Reading<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UfJm4RNGfB8/UrUOvuJX9lI/AAAAAAAABFM/QjWVAYBwUTM/s1600/ex+libris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UfJm4RNGfB8/UrUOvuJX9lI/AAAAAAAABFM/QjWVAYBwUTM/s200/ex+libris.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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This book list is for social entrepreneurs. <br />
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Now that the holidays are coming you might have a chance to relax and pick up a book. Sharing a few things on my book shelf or on my laptop. Committed social entrepreneurs that we are, these readings will enrich our knowledge to help us do better at work. We hope you like the list.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-CEO-Paradox-Accountability-Leadership/dp/0814450938" target="_blank">The CEO Paradox: The Privilege and Accountability of Leadership </a><br />
by Thomas R. Horton<br />
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I'm still currently reading this book and so far I find it relevant and refreshing in terms of content and voice. Written as a letter from an outgoing CEO to an incoming one, the tone is conversational and frank. With chapter titles like You've Made it to the Top - Now What? and Those Lonesome CEO blues, the book tackles topics familiar to CEOs ranging from Delegation to Making time for yourself, to passing the torch. This book should find a place in the bookshelves of current and aspiring CEOs.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Making-Living-Crafts-Everything-Business/dp/1579906508" target="_blank">Making a Living in Crafts: Everything You Need to Know to Build Your Business</a> <br />
by Donald A. Clark<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2gxrBLtafk4/UrUZ0gcYQFI/AAAAAAAABFs/6de2Nq4bqxM/s1600/Making+a+living+through+crafts.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2gxrBLtafk4/UrUZ0gcYQFI/AAAAAAAABFs/6de2Nq4bqxM/s1600/Making+a+living+through+crafts.png" /></a></div>
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Throughout this great book, several artisans and craftsmen offer practical advice based on their experience in setting up their workshops, promoting their work in trade fairs, marketing, branding, and even intellectual property. The stories are inspiring, the advice is actionable, and the photos are gorgeous. This book will inspire anyone thinking of setting up a crafts business to go for it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.omidyar.com/pdf/Priming_the_Pump_Sept_2012.pdf" target="_blank">Priming the Pump: The Case for a Sector Based Approach to Impact Investing</a><br />
by Matt Bannick and Paula Goldman<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JZnMT8W9YB8/UrUfegpA5RI/AAAAAAAABF4/wSXzq77-6ug/s1600/Priming+the+Pump.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JZnMT8W9YB8/UrUfegpA5RI/AAAAAAAABF4/wSXzq77-6ug/s320/Priming+the+Pump.png" width="247" /></a>Impact Investing is the new buzzword in social development but the space is still amorphous. This paper supports our long held belief that ecosystems should be built to create an enabling environment. While there are gazelle social enterprises, creating and scaling up entire sectors increases the chances of success for individual social enterprises.<br />
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The paper discusses three kinds of organizations in a sector: market innovators, market scalers, and market infrastructure all of which will require investment.<br />
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This is a great read for anyone wanting to make large scale impact through social entrepreneurship. <br />
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Please feel free to share your thoughts on this list as well as share it with others who might be interested.<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-14278084328194532822013-12-16T20:47:00.000+08:002013-12-16T20:47:18.635+08:00Gains and Setbacks in Expanding the Green Market<br />
We came across this interesting article <a href="http://blog.lohas.com/blog/gwynne-rogerss-blog/one-step-forward-two-steps-back-v2" target="_blank">One Step Forward, Two Steps Back</a> by Gwynne (Rogers) Villota on gains and setbacks in the green market. The post says that while there is increased awareness for these products, there remain consumer negative consumer perceptions that are barriers to purchasing these products. What's more the negative perception trend seems to be getting worse.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JNeXtuZm3dw/Uq7xPbT7ISI/AAAAAAAABE8/69J6ExDNcaU/s1600/Trends+Green+Purchases.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JNeXtuZm3dw/Uq7xPbT7ISI/AAAAAAAABE8/69J6ExDNcaU/s400/Trends+Green+Purchases.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Three related takeaways for us were:<br />
1. Saving the Earth is not enough reason to charge a premium for green products.<br />
2. Consumers don't see enough value for money in green products.<br />
3. Green products are perceived to underperform i.e. their quality is not as good as "regular" products.<br />
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We see hear the same sentiments regarding fair trade products. While there is a dedicated, committed, consumer market for fair trade
products or sustainable products, the mainstream market is still largely
driven by traditional values like pricing or branding. It is our job to
increase awareness but it is also our job to produce competitive,
quality products .<br />
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The story of empowerment behind every product is important, but providing clients with a delightful product experience is just as important. If clients buy only to help not because they genuinely value the product for its design or functionality or both, chances are they will not buy again and they will not recommend the product to their friends and this is not a sustainable model. This is why we have been focusing on quality and design as well as production efficiency - to prove our central premise that products made by micro-manufacturers, craftsmen, indigenous groups can compete in terms of price, design, and work quality. <br />
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To read the full article, please click on the link. <a href="http://blog.lohas.com/blog/gwynne-rogerss-blog/one-step-forward-two-steps-back-v2" target="_blank">One Step Forward, Two Steps Back</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-85128839150959039912013-12-13T09:00:00.000+08:002013-12-13T09:00:03.709+08:00Top 3 Tips for Corporate Gift-Giving with Meaning <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJgijV6LVaubj3vQM-IrduzEf4SBb34pqrKkT0A84pfKZbo4wv2i7vPHKL8THb1sdtZkT7KEuvqAJKVE9KL2gOS1z5iq-NjraT1wQxnoXL1V8pHMgT8vfU9GU1sxqotpILk1XQf5n-TY/s1600/gift.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJgijV6LVaubj3vQM-IrduzEf4SBb34pqrKkT0A84pfKZbo4wv2i7vPHKL8THb1sdtZkT7KEuvqAJKVE9KL2gOS1z5iq-NjraT1wQxnoXL1V8pHMgT8vfU9GU1sxqotpILk1XQf5n-TY/s1600/gift.png" /></a>It's the season for Corporate Giving. At the end of the year, companies take stock of the year that was and look forward to the coming year. In as much as corporate gift giving is seen as a marketing tool, it is also a great way for companies to sincerely show appreciation, give thanks, and say, 'looking forward to working with you again next year.' These messages are true for clients as they are for suppliers, employees, and in the case of non-profits or social enterprises, donors, volunteers, and other supporters.<br />
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Here are our top three tips for corporate gift giving with meaning. <br />
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1. Customized<br />
Whenever possible, tailor the gift to the interests or hobbies of the recipient. This shows that thought and care went into the selection of the gift. If personalization is not possible, go for a unique, custom gift instead that the recipient will not easily find in a mall or receive from other companies. <br />
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2. Personalized<br />
In connection with the customized theme, take the time to write a hand written note to personalize each gift. Make sure the note is personalized as well. We have long advocated maintaining this practice in this day and age of emails, text messaging, and tweeting. A hand written note is a simple but powerful gesture to show sincerity.<br />
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3. Meaningful<br />
A major trend in recent years that will gain even more momentum in the future is the growing awareness and concern for sustainability and meaning. Giving a gift that shows care for other stakeholders taps into the growing desire for accountability and responsible consumption. Gifts that are made from upcycled materials, or made without animal
testing, or made by a company with a sustainable supply chain are just a few
examples. Given the range of possibilities, choose a gift that is aligned with the company's values and if possible core business. <br />
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These three tips are great for all kinds of gift-giving, not just for Christmas. Surprise and delight those that have made your life easier or helped you achieve success. Don't pass up the chance to strengthen connections throughout the year with even a simple gift or a hand-written card and you're sure to cultivate meaningful relationships and goodwill. <div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-53858084001636638072013-12-10T10:00:00.000+08:002013-12-10T15:54:45.139+08:00The Importance of Business Models and Value Chains<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">To deliver on our promise and satisfy the market, we should look at our own value chains and business models. This can be challenging for social enterprises because the paying customer isn't always the social enterprise's primary customer. Gregory Dees defined the primary customer as the one who benefits from the work of the social enterprise. It is therefore important for social entrepreneurs to have a framework for value creation for its multiple stakeholders. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">One framework we've found useful when talking about business models is the business model canvas developed and promoted by the people behind Business Model Generation <a href="http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/">www.businessmodelgeneration.com</a>. According to the authors of the book, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">a business model "describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Below is an illustrated version of the canvas and below it is a blank canvas. By using this tool, social entrepreneurs can think through each of the building blocks of a business model and clearly identify the value proposition for customer segments.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"> Thinking through revenue streams ensures that value is captured for social entrepreneurs to be able to sustainably provide value to its target beneficiaries. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOClO9mYaFI/UqXm0SjmNyI/AAAAAAAABDM/CWWafIo92Eo/s1600/business+model+illustration.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOClO9mYaFI/UqXm0SjmNyI/AAAAAAAABDM/CWWafIo92Eo/s400/business+model+illustration.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9sYDsyPgtktQh-C8BQ0g1-JAD8-EbK1xyB9Z9SoIzrIuHCG2N1SG9DtFo-FBTBXZmaE3if5ajkg-tyginb-dfF8U36smJx7T7TRRwypbvYLQ5LqHKEYNfZLv9BapbBGMF6ifRJRgn8zk/s400/Business+model+canvas.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">For more information or to purchase the book, please visit the business model generation website. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Once the business model has been thought through, social entrepreneurs must look at their value chains to ensure that the primary activities and the support activities support the value proposition. Value propositions are the unique offering of the social enterprise to its market. Value propositions can include innovative products e.g. appropriate technology for smallholder farmers; speedy and efficient service delivery e.g. treatment at the Aravind Eye Center; or affordably priced products e.g. off-grid lighting solutions. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">The primary activities ensure that there is value-added in the transformation process, that the enterprise finds its market and provides customer service. The support activities on the other hand ensure that operations support the value proposition i.e. does the organization have the correct manpower, is the organization able to leverage IT, does the organization take advantage of the benefits of procuring in bulk. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rWv9jlk27mA/UqXmfHeGVFI/AAAAAAAABC8/G8kY3_qHM6A/s1600/Value+chain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rWv9jlk27mA/UqXmfHeGVFI/AAAAAAAABC8/G8kY3_qHM6A/s400/Value+chain.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">The Gifts and Graces value chain involves partner identification, capacity building, design, and marketing. Our primary market/beneficiaries are the craftsmen and micro-entrepreneurs we support. Our secondary market that makes our work possible are the corporations and individuals who purchase our fair trade products. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Our business model and value chain has been tweaked over the years. This is expected of social enterprises as well as we have to be flexible so as to provide the most value to our target beneficiaries. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">For more information, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or email us. </span></div>
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<span id="goog_1376562687"></span><span id="goog_1376562688"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-83357947731068636902013-12-07T14:48:00.000+08:002013-12-07T14:48:03.158+08:00Crafts for a Cause Bazaar<div class="userContentWrapper aboveUnitContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">
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will be at the Crafts for a Cause bazaar from December 6 to 8 at the
3rd level of SM Aura Premier. We hope you do your Christmas shopping
with us!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvTRt7DCV_GsVjJk1hAInTIzowCzTOzR55IKeOEuF8MCw21bRduvut9KNGiwzP7uR_b5weYuysyKN53zTD4oqmLcu_40JchV1fQxE_NmS2wDEQANz6R7VUZoE380Vgwzxot-Yw1pmtLk/s1600/Crafts+for+a+Cause+bazaar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvTRt7DCV_GsVjJk1hAInTIzowCzTOzR55IKeOEuF8MCw21bRduvut9KNGiwzP7uR_b5weYuysyKN53zTD4oqmLcu_40JchV1fQxE_NmS2wDEQANz6R7VUZoE380Vgwzxot-Yw1pmtLk/s320/Crafts+for+a+Cause+bazaar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">G&G Founder Sandy Romualdez shops at the Crafts for a Cause bazaar at SM Aura</td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-77093978634246998602013-12-03T13:00:00.000+08:002013-12-05T16:53:39.379+08:00Happy Fair Trade Tuesday!<a href="http://giftsandgraces.tumblr.com/post/69055139727/a-little-late-but-worth-posting-anyway-why-buy"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</a>Why Buy Fair Trade? Let us count the reasons why.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8faDaz8n32mApyos1w4Q6AI9KuhlD2lNX_ZHaUF6J2S3SBnJg7yfVdlAWV8U9Srvd0KW0w0_TXg_zW7mlexHeukTLw8nVPfOnRQgwdz0aSHrbDpNj-D7t7w13z-seepB3pJZ5vTRnfs/s1600/Why+buy+fair+trade.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8faDaz8n32mApyos1w4Q6AI9KuhlD2lNX_ZHaUF6J2S3SBnJg7yfVdlAWV8U9Srvd0KW0w0_TXg_zW7mlexHeukTLw8nVPfOnRQgwdz0aSHrbDpNj-D7t7w13z-seepB3pJZ5vTRnfs/s640/Why+buy+fair+trade.png" width="448" /></a></div>
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There are many reasons why we love fair trade. We buy fair trade because among other things, we value respect, fairness, and empowerment. And of course G&G's fair trade products are also fashionable and handcrafted. <br />
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Thank you to all who support Fair Trade. Happy Fair Trade Tuesday!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-62248390118031341562013-11-30T09:00:00.000+08:002013-11-30T09:00:01.646+08:00The T'boli Craft of Brass CastingGifts and Graces is proud to be supporting the T'bolis of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. G&G Executive Director Greg Perez first met one of the tribe's leaders Nadeth Ofong at the Social Enterprise Management Training Program of Fundacion Codespa and University of Asia and the Pacific where she and Nadeth were fellow scholars.<br />
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We are happy to be part of the effort to share their story, contribute to their livelihood and share their heritage. Last month, Nadeth shared with us their special method of brass casting. While we don't divulge all the details here, we wanted to share part of the story behind the making of the T'boli's beautiful brass items.<br />
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1. Prepare the materials<br />
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<ul>
<li>Yellow brass from scrap material sourced from junk shops</li>
<li>Beeswax</li>
<li>Charcoal</li>
<li>Clay soil with rice hulls</li>
<li>Cooking/melting pot </li>
</ul>
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2. Prepare the beeswax by melting it, rolling it, and designing it. Note that this is where the intricate designs come in. <br />
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3. Prepare the mold by pounding the clay soil with rice hulls, covering the mold with this mixture, melting the wax, leaving the mold out to dry in the sun, and drying it over fire<br />
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4. Next, melt the brass in a traditional blower, pour the melted brass into the mold, then allow to cool in a water bath. <br />
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5. Break the mold and voila you have your brass bell!<br />
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6. Cut and clean the bells. The final stage is cleaning the bells with calamansi<br />
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Here are some of the beautiful items made from brass. A brass man, brass bells in regular design and man and women designs, the brass bell with beads from The Learning Center to make our bell charm, and brass pendants which we use with woven retaso for a special line of clutches<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1emNJMeryjc7UUDe7bWkvuKT0gRz21ssiqEJazJjkF1z6Gd_UEx7R38ds8vHN8TadTUsyQ5hbNIudlK9pvl_qfvR4eJTQk_mssY2O8yqnHBbnrenO4GeZh7RF9L8OoqSd6j7OWZtiitE/s1600/T%2527boli+brass+bell+charm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
Not in the collage is a set of four brass napkin rings in an elegant T'nalak box, bangles, and jewelry made from braided cloth strips and a brass ring. But we can share these in another blog post. <br />
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Here's a photo of Nadeth with her daughter Bon with Fernando Regalado and Jhun Jhun Gementiza of G&G and Mike Panghilason of Heidi's Crafts (weavers of the clutch in the photo) at our Partner's Dinner this year held at the Herald Suites. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5_sYpLChVQI/UpgjwM7jopI/AAAAAAAAA-I/R_6xU7w8L8Y/s1600/Partners+Dinner+Solana+Herald+Suites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5_sYpLChVQI/UpgjwM7jopI/AAAAAAAAA-I/R_6xU7w8L8Y/s400/Partners+Dinner+Solana+Herald+Suites.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally, here is a link to further reading on the T'bolis and a link to an online article on loqal.ph<br />
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http://lakesebuphilippines.blogspot.com/p/tiboli-tribe.html<br />
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http://loqal.ph/home-and-living/2010/08/09/t%E2%80%99boli-women-weave-history-culture-in-t%E2%80%99nalak-cloth/<br />
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If you'd like more information or you'd like to order and support this cause, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at info@giftsandgraces.com or marketing@giftsandgraces.com<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-29072721210315113372013-11-27T13:30:00.000+08:002013-11-27T13:30:00.880+08:00G&G in Metro Society November IssueThis month, G&G is featured in Metro Society in an article aptly titled "Shopping for the Soul"<br />
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G&G Executive Director Greg Perez says "I think the time of thinking of only ourselves is up. We are now more responsible and accountable for each other. We can't just say 'I don't care if this (product) comes from a sweatshop.' That's not the way to live anymore. Being discerning consumers benefits all of us."<br />
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The article features great shots of our best-selling newspaper bags, T'boli bell charm, bags from the Retazo Collection made from scrap upholstery fabric, a black chest from Potrero, one of our retaso teddy bears, this one in fatigue-colored brocade, and a sneak preview of our elegant day-to-night necklaces made from scrap fabric embellished with an etched brass ring.<br />
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To read the full article, pick up a copy of Metro Society's November issue today. We're on page 225.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-88859110791760429582013-11-25T14:00:00.000+08:002013-11-26T00:23:22.801+08:00Millennials as Social Entrepreneurs<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
When it comes to millennials, we hear complaints about how hard they are to manage. This is in part due to the different circumstances they grew up in - the computer, internet, social networks, and many other things we didn't have just twenty, even ten years ago. Some of the things I've heard are that the millennial generation has a sense of entitlement, has no of abstraction, and is impatient. </div>
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As I prepared to talk to the fourth year high school students of Assumption San Lorenzo, I started thinking about the PEACE program and its goal of encouraging these young students to become social entrepreneurs. I began to see that millenials and the negative traits attributed to
them are the very traits that make millenials great social
entrepreneurs. <br />
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1. Sense of Entitlement - Millenials recognize that the world can be a better place and that they are entitled to it. There are a lot of young people I know who care passionately about a
cause - be it ending cruelty to animals or education or the environment.
What's great about the youth is that they don't expect this better world to be handed to them on a silver platter; they understand that they have a role in creating the better world they feel entitled to. What's more, they work to get other people to care for what they care about because they believe that everyone should care.<br />
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2. No Sense of Abstraction - With different media bombarding their senses every minute, the abstract is spelled out. But this turns into a positive because the youth spring into action. They don't bother with motherhood statements - nationalism, feminism, environmentalism and yet remaining in the sidelines. The youth act on what they believe in by volunteering, by starting innovative programs, by donating. <br />
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3. Impatient - The youth want change and they want it now. I think this is admirable. I knew I wanted to work somehow in social development but I thought that I should be financially stable first before I did so. To see young entrepreneurs in high school and college putting their ideas and ideals into action now and not twenty years from now is cause for celebration.<br />
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The photos here were taken during the visit of the Assumption students to PAMANA Cooperative, our partner, and the G&G office. The exuberance and enthusiasm they displayed was contagious and uplifting.<br />
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As they enter Phase 2 of the PEACE program where they start to work on the product prototypes, I can't wait to see what their creative minds will come up with and I can't wait to see the impact it will have on the livelihood of our partners. Truly, these Assumption students are living their faith in action.<br />
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Cheers!<br />
<br />
Greg <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zydYxDTUSH8/UoyZcsy2deI/AAAAAAAAA7E/ifq-pWDKi9o/s1600/IMG_3383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zydYxDTUSH8/UoyZcsy2deI/AAAAAAAAA7E/ifq-pWDKi9o/s320/IMG_3383.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students take a photo of our poster of the 10 Fair Trade Principles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEc1FISRTZPSPqC9-g75PVRaJzmBvkfurm8OebnQOTAqqFcwLpaP1YxyOLH6Yv8fAph4UYhjBv_yKfrcbczt71CaqXz19BScJXEs9OEZ6WRSGnlWXVrae4o_8I3BkJOyNe8ttuVkv5oU/s1600/IMG_3386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEc1FISRTZPSPqC9-g75PVRaJzmBvkfurm8OebnQOTAqqFcwLpaP1YxyOLH6Yv8fAph4UYhjBv_yKfrcbczt71CaqXz19BScJXEs9OEZ6WRSGnlWXVrae4o_8I3BkJOyNe8ttuVkv5oU/s320/IMG_3386.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students pose with the G&G logo, G&G Project Officer Jeremy Callegher, and G&G Executive Director Ms. Greg Perez </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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P.S. I was inspired by the writing and thinking of Angela Maiers and Deb Mills-Scofield on the subject. Here are two great posts: Angela Maiers' <a href="http://switchandshift.com/an-open-letter-to-millennials-thank-you-for-what-i-see-in-you" target="_blank">An Open Letter to Millenials</a>,
and Deb Mills-Scofield's <a href="http://founderpul.se/post/67678114173/benefits-of-being-a-young-entrepreneur" target="_blank">Benefits of Being a Young Entrepreneur</a>.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-44584686027690421502013-11-22T15:48:00.002+08:002013-11-22T15:48:52.392+08:00Even the storm won't sweep the hope away<div align="JUSTIFY" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
We will never forget this day, this day when Yolanda came to tear up the sky and the land of the Philippines, like a foretaste of apocalypse. They talked about it on TV, radio, Internet, forecasting the strongest typhoon that ever spinned over the Earth. Warned, we thought we were prepared. But, beside going to the place thought as the safest with your loved ones, there is nothing else you can really do when nature has decided. Losses are innumerable, screams shatter the silence of a new no man's land, the tears drop on the ground, eyes wide open facing the devastated landscape. The world is speechless, there are no words to express what happened.</div>
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However, mutism is of short lasting. Still stunned, the filipino people starts organizing reliefs operation. Individual initiatives, NGOs and corporates, from the piggy bank to the aid fund, the solidarity starts running. The international community sends funds, ships, manpower, goods, everything that is needed here.</div>
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Rich or poor, young and old, filipinos and foreigners, everybody give some of his time, goods, money, and prayers, and it's beautiful. But to better feel it, you have to experiment, be part of it, give a hand to those in needs there. I'm not writing this to show what I did, and I won't, because, compared to many people, I have the feeling I did almost nothing so far. But, in our small ways, even if it's one day, one hour, a couple of canned goods or a sack of rice, we are helping. And it's already a lot. There is no excuse such as « I don't have time or money, etc... ». There is always a way and I know that, each of us, would appreciate it if we were in their situation. When I see the people, in those hard times, I'm admiring, admiring of such a spirit. </div>
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So it's time, dear readers and friends, it's time to stand up, time to put on an old shirt, good sneakers, and carry hope for our brothers in needs. There are moments in life you know you have something to do, something for the others, without back thoughts, something which is worth it, for your fellows, your country, and yourself.</div>
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MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS!</div>
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Jeremy</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-72882700335099052652013-11-20T16:45:00.000+08:002013-11-20T16:45:00.231+08:00Gifts and Graces in Philippine Crafts Section Robinson's Department Store Galleria<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmCz12VuigKiyluDrNNcO95Uf7i4tZ1YGTPOmTCfpv2ByReH3CB3SfdVklXF0HnDzRKL__QKLKwfufFbCwH1feH43o_XODQYSBvikeL6h90-MDZrymaqwbfN33zuJ2kynlM5Egu9sgMs/s1600/IMG_3894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmCz12VuigKiyluDrNNcO95Uf7i4tZ1YGTPOmTCfpv2ByReH3CB3SfdVklXF0HnDzRKL__QKLKwfufFbCwH1feH43o_XODQYSBvikeL6h90-MDZrymaqwbfN33zuJ2kynlM5Egu9sgMs/s320/IMG_3894.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="share-body"><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40"> </span><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40">G&G
handcrafted products are now available at the <b>Philippine Crafts</b> section on the
ground floor of <b>Robinson's Galleria Department Store</b>. </span></span><br />
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<span class="share-body"><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40">Whether buying a
gift for yourself or someone you care about, make an impression with any
of our products made by marginalized craftsmen and artisans from all
over the country. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kpr01jjnxHk/UoxwdGbn-cI/AAAAAAAAA6U/ExFo-TiKTAM/s1600/IMG_3906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kpr01jjnxHk/UoxwdGbn-cI/AAAAAAAAA6U/ExFo-TiKTAM/s320/IMG_3906.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="share-body"><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40"> </span></span><br />
<span class="share-body"><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40">We have reusable canvas bags, pillows made from scrap upholstery fabric, our best-selling brass bells and bell harms, and our unique newspaper bags. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1OcQyF5EFHsR_XGZ5YZr-Rj88O9VAM1weNY0iSA-JzjnAaMn27VJf4tEQoP1txsdlboMniEcEfMKRN4LbdI9MFyuSv1-IEvMWMNvx1lMcZhl5yEO8TgHq_xhc-cf68gW2waIB2jBFLs/s1600/IMG_3904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1OcQyF5EFHsR_XGZ5YZr-Rj88O9VAM1weNY0iSA-JzjnAaMn27VJf4tEQoP1txsdlboMniEcEfMKRN4LbdI9MFyuSv1-IEvMWMNvx1lMcZhl5yEO8TgHq_xhc-cf68gW2waIB2jBFLs/s320/IMG_3904.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span class="share-body"><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40">Shown here are the </span></span><span class="share-body"><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40"><span class="share-body"><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40">mini bahay kubos made from directory pages by the women in CIW. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />The original green house, the bahay kubo is a traditional Philippine
house constructed with natural materials like banded nipa, cogon and
bamboo. It is designed to adapt to the tropical climate of the country
and is a triumph of human ingenuity and resourcefulness over the
elements. Its name originated from the Filipino word, bahay and the
Spanish word, cubo due to its cubic shape. It can still be found in
rural and coastal areas. This replica made out of phonebook pages was
made by women of CIW<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JMgEY8kWBKE/Uoxwau_zKfI/AAAAAAAAA6M/_-osKFq3O6M/s1600/IMG_3910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JMgEY8kWBKE/Uoxwau_zKfI/AAAAAAAAA6M/_-osKFq3O6M/s320/IMG_3910.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="share-body"><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40"> We also have small impulse items that make great tokens - coin purses and shoe key chains made from T'nalak, agate charms made by special needs individuals, bags made from junk food wrappers, lizard key chains, and coin purses made from woven scrap strips of cloth. </span></span><br />
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<span class="share-body"><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40">Visit our gondola every now and then to see what's new. These products are also available in Robinson's Ermita and Robinson's Magnolia Department Stores. </span></span><br />
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<span class="share-body"><span class="commentary" id="control_gen_40">For inquiries on bulk orders kindly email us at info@giftsandgraces.com or call +6327592525.</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-46699101023116169172013-11-13T02:17:00.001+08:002013-11-13T02:17:26.996+08:00The Creation of Plaidette, the Assumption Heritage Bear<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZywJBDxly2k/UoJoVjZWDaI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/eMEoeBAaF-k/s1600/Plaidette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZywJBDxly2k/UoJoVjZWDaI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/eMEoeBAaF-k/s320/Plaidette.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaidette</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Last year, Gifts and Graces Board Director and Assumption Alum Marivic Limcaoco approached Gifts and Graces with a proposal for an interesting project - to make a special, heritage bear from gently used Assumption uniforms. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We were immediately intrigued. G&G had made bears and other soft toys made from denim, upholstery, and other scrap fabric in the past but we could tell that this would be a special project because of the history and heritage of our material - the Assumption plaid skirt. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi36JJoWMWKQapwsbocydqbZ6oITi0dcZluypcDYD7gvgV_mY91tqEOOjJicK6Iz-8CpcUA2TsjzPSkxW-5yMEy8A0239Km5uDIILJR-1_00LYGldyxbvJldj65zzd5IAgPLr9rtkyVs/s1600/Retaso+bears+in+changshan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi36JJoWMWKQapwsbocydqbZ6oITi0dcZluypcDYD7gvgV_mY91tqEOOjJicK6Iz-8CpcUA2TsjzPSkxW-5yMEy8A0239Km5uDIILJR-1_00LYGldyxbvJldj65zzd5IAgPLr9rtkyVs/s200/Retaso+bears+in+changshan.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaluAQzoygxb-pnI8TwuaTabP45mj3ysfZ1-WyQZ2T0170aLAwRXFwIhqEK_zCscb67FtD4jRVKLkTxK_EM1BJoeeT6goJYDgNcg13ruSjAqT3O5Ru6vzeEOeH33hqcSA28nupcjgMHCo/s1600/Retaso+dolls+hanging+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaluAQzoygxb-pnI8TwuaTabP45mj3ysfZ1-WyQZ2T0170aLAwRXFwIhqEK_zCscb67FtD4jRVKLkTxK_EM1BJoeeT6goJYDgNcg13ruSjAqT3O5Ru6vzeEOeH33hqcSA28nupcjgMHCo/s200/Retaso+dolls+hanging+out.jpg" width="200" /> </a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Making this happen on the Assumption end were Grissel Gomez </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">and Kat Querubin of Assumption San Lorenzo's </span>Basic Education Division Family Council. Gifts and Graces on the other hand tapped Kaibhan Inc, a foundation who works with sewers in Bulacan who had lost their jobs. It took several meetings and prototypes to get Plaidette just right. Here's a photo collage showing the committee at work. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tw5NBpeewzM/UoJoeEpll8I/AAAAAAAAA5o/XGlFf6S3-7s/s1600/Plaidette+in+the+making.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tw5NBpeewzM/UoJoeEpll8I/AAAAAAAAA5o/XGlFf6S3-7s/s320/Plaidette+in+the+making.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And here's the special tag that comes with every Plaidette to authenticate her. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTmyfJ8olkY/UoJobn6Sd_I/AAAAAAAAA5g/TATDqVpZ73w/s1600/Plaidette+Cloth+Tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTmyfJ8olkY/UoJobn6Sd_I/AAAAAAAAA5g/TATDqVpZ73w/s320/Plaidette+Cloth+Tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Plaidette
appeals to all Assumption students, whether grade school or high
school, plus the alumnae here and abroad. </span>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">“Our
Assumption values are embodied in Plaidette—reusing resources,
providing livelihood, preserving heritage,” says Grissel. “I’m
thrilled that she was launched during my last term as president of
the Family Council because as an old girl and an Assumption mom, I am
a strong believer in bringing honor to the red plaid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Gifts and Graces is proud to be part of this project. Plaidette is a creative way to honor the Assumption uniform, impacting the environment, the livelihood of the women sewers, and the beneficiaries of the relief operations and medical missions conducted by the BED. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tZUWZNh1P14/UoJoaizVhDI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/ddI-PUU77Vg/s1600/Plaidette+Ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tZUWZNh1P14/UoJoaizVhDI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/ddI-PUU77Vg/s1600/Plaidette+Ad.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>To
pledge for a Plaidette, call Regine at 813-6291 or 0917-539-1363.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For
more information, please contact:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Grissel
Gomez</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Family
Council President</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">0917-833-0530</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Teachergee2002@yahoo.com</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Kat
Querubin</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Committee
Head CSI</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">0917-891-4540</span></span><br />
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<td width="205">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">katquerubin@yahoo.com</span></span><br />
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<td width="134">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Greg
Perez</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Gifts
and Graces</span></span><br />
</td>
<td width="109">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">0917-851-2668</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">info@giftsandgraces.com</span></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-24979360995350420012013-11-07T19:13:00.000+08:002013-11-07T19:13:16.325+08:00Searching for the Perfect Gift this Christmas? Fair Trade Gifts 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gozQnt2VTlI/UntxefXoSpI/AAAAAAAAA4k/4WWrSvz8_eU/s1600/Gifts+2013.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gozQnt2VTlI/UntxefXoSpI/AAAAAAAAA4k/4WWrSvz8_eU/s200/Gifts+2013.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Searching for the perfect gift this Christmas? </span></span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Buy Fair Trade gifts and help vote for a better world. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the Gifts and Graces 2013 Collection, you'll find something for everyone. These handcrafted products made by marginalized craftsmen and artisans from all over the Philippines make great gifts for family, friends, and colleagues. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">These also make great corporate giveaways for Directors, VIPs, and Senior Management. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">For personal and corporate gifts, ask us today how we can help you - from customizing products to packaging your gifts with a personalized tag. Email us at marketing@giftsandgraces.com or call 7592525.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks for your support!</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8y5FF_TiHkn6Ya6aXfNGr05tRDcaC-UF2bvlBB0-yeOYMQlnS3JCHTpXMbRwwzg6mP1DdbQ5CgXn4L5AFgBOrdMbK_2XzVUU4pRa3Hn-VjMKonIAcsVbzVL-Xje-YoId4xzrDVKtegw/s1600/Brass+and+T%2527nalak+items.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8y5FF_TiHkn6Ya6aXfNGr05tRDcaC-UF2bvlBB0-yeOYMQlnS3JCHTpXMbRwwzg6mP1DdbQ5CgXn4L5AFgBOrdMbK_2XzVUU4pRa3Hn-VjMKonIAcsVbzVL-Xje-YoId4xzrDVKtegw/s400/Brass+and+T%2527nalak+items.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Woven placemats, brass napkin rings, T'nalak key chains add details to your home that speaks of your values.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XrGSukzZPdE/UntiQFWRUEI/AAAAAAAAA4U/liEy8KRb0w8/s1600/T%2527boli+brass+bell+charm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XrGSukzZPdE/UntiQFWRUEI/AAAAAAAAA4U/liEy8KRb0w8/s400/T%2527boli+brass+bell+charm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Our bestselling bell charm made with a brass bell from the T'bolis and a beautiful bead charm by the students of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=100224498839&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/tlcinc75?directed_target_id=0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">The Learning Center, Inc. (TLC)</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjvAZKAZYD-74o-JZX7oL2NKWPuKHbuZb-QAT762udVMSbFNXqWKzxpeKICthyphenhyphenWsd7Q8r-7kw8YX27zhxDiUtyvSMVnvot-drA1sxYbFzjUByGkLY3JAhfYP4IcbYpN7LqoBcXWQBh2o/s1600/Accenture+Catalog20134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjvAZKAZYD-74o-JZX7oL2NKWPuKHbuZb-QAT762udVMSbFNXqWKzxpeKICthyphenhyphenWsd7Q8r-7kw8YX27zhxDiUtyvSMVnvot-drA1sxYbFzjUByGkLY3JAhfYP4IcbYpN7LqoBcXWQBh2o/s400/Accenture+Catalog20134.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">These fun items reflect the spirit of the Filipino. Includes jeeps, calesas, and trikes made out of wood, a fun turtle with bobbing head made from bao, and a collection of lovable lola dolls.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XrGSukzZPdE/UntiQFWRUEI/AAAAAAAAA4U/liEy8KRb0w8/s1600/T%2527boli+brass+bell+charm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zIbDyKip_a0/UntfN1IsDfI/AAAAAAAAA3U/12B1euZy_LA/s1600/Upcycled+retaso.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zIbDyKip_a0/UntfN1IsDfI/AAAAAAAAA3U/12B1euZy_LA/s400/Upcycled+retaso.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Green is the new black. These pillows are made from excess or reject upholstery materials. These eco bags make you look stylish as you shop green. (Bags subject to availability. Harina sailor bag by special order)</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U2Ob5KbBhVI/UnthHmR7KvI/AAAAAAAAA34/0OPOzypyZpg/s1600/Accenture+Catalog20133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U2Ob5KbBhVI/UnthHmR7KvI/AAAAAAAAA34/0OPOzypyZpg/s320/Accenture+Catalog20133.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">These products for the home make great conversation starters. Includes embroidered pillows, nesting baskets from Sorsogon, replica bahay kubos and Ifugao huts made out of directory pages.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00r_3INIvi7H6G1xdeGIaIousKsH6pz3EQJ1NGEr1q2hiCaKqlk5_hd6CpUja1xG75Y6vtQI8tRyF7S-1-nIuKOmAb0NrBMshGTV2V1FAXC0afoCkZcK7A-HEw1qt6iH7QALGocZ5Q_0/s1600/Nilala+Gadget-20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00r_3INIvi7H6G1xdeGIaIousKsH6pz3EQJ1NGEr1q2hiCaKqlk5_hd6CpUja1xG75Y6vtQI8tRyF7S-1-nIuKOmAb0NrBMshGTV2V1FAXC0afoCkZcK7A-HEw1qt6iH7QALGocZ5Q_0/s400/Nilala+Gadget-20013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Stylish and functional iPad sleeves and pouches woven from scrap fabric</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hdkg8lb0GzA/Untf8n4qCEI/AAAAAAAAA3s/ZvLjb4eR3tE/s1600/Quirky+items.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hdkg8lb0GzA/Untf8n4qCEI/AAAAAAAAA3s/ZvLjb4eR3tE/s400/Quirky+items.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">We love this quirky collection for its vibrant colors. Placemats, coasters, and pot holders for your kitchen, monster luggage tags, one-of-a-kind coffee sleeves, and handmade paper journals brings fun to everyday activities.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cR3hSMnqp7o/UntfcLJu9XI/AAAAAAAAA3k/lm8eRc1pj34/s1600/New+Cards%252C+Solihiya+Pillow%252C+etc..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cR3hSMnqp7o/UntfcLJu9XI/AAAAAAAAA3k/lm8eRc1pj34/s400/New+Cards%252C+Solihiya+Pillow%252C+etc..jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Handmade paper cards from cogon grass in the new Cityscape Collection. Made by a women's cooperative in Quezon. Yummy scented cupcake candles made by a cooperative of former inmates</span></td></tr>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-83589752960692829812013-11-04T15:51:00.001+08:002013-11-21T00:40:30.629+08:00What does it take to be a social entrepreneur?<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">
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Recently, Gifts and Graces was invited to give a talk to 4th year Assumption students on social entrepreneurship in connection with their Political, Educational Advocacy and Community Extension (P.E.A.C.E.) Work Project launch. </div>
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Part of the talk given by G&G Executive Director Greg Perez was on what it takes to be a social entrepreneur. Here we share a slightly tweaked version of the talk which can also be seen in a feature on G&G in Katha Magazine's 2nd online edition <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><a href="http://bit.ly/katha-issue02" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/<span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">katha</span>-<wbr></wbr>issue02</a></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">Take time to reflect on the big questions: Where do your passions lie? What could you be the best at in the world? What makes you come alive? What value will you provide? The intersection of your Passion + Skill + Opportunity will ensure that you create value and you have fun while doing it </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Show leadership - be bold, be brave, be innovative, have conviction, be authentic. Believe in yourself.</span> </li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">Always be learning - ask for help, observe, be intellectually curious</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">B</span><span style="font-size: small;">e emotionally, physically, mentally prepared to take on the challenges. You will have a world view that others don't get yet. Social development is a marathon. Take care of yourself, take time to breathe and pause and reconnect</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">Build a network, be part of a network - it takes a village to solve today's complex problems. Social entrepreneurship is part of the solution, not the only solution</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">Be generous with your knowledge and experience. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">Never lose the power to empathize - that is what makes us human. The need to be part of the solution comes from a place of empathy - this is what will sustain you</span></li>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7235195379884502136.post-75053298408751144432013-10-17T13:09:00.000+08:002013-10-17T13:11:36.210+08:00You said Fair Trade?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Good day followers! </div>
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Our partner ULOT Watershed, based in Samar just released their latest newsletter and guess who's part of it?
Please find below the gifts and Graces contribution to it, with an informative article about Fair Trade. Hope you will enjoy it. Do not hesitate to comment if you have any question about it. :)
Fair Trade is an equitable trading partnership between marketers and producers that is based on dialogue, respect, and fairness. It seeks to give producers, farmers, and low-income artisans protection from exploitation and greater equity in international trade. Fair Trade is ultimately a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. There are several labels associated with Fair Trade that one should become familiar with:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR84CK2xwdMKCATqDq3oWZsBNoWNCqB__AeoQS-wDp5gbmLiPvCIdjeWFHn0v9m4A6xDlIahjIEmOwBdaaTwKOWbSlxd_UCn_vVDbMSMU2yyFD6uRA-3V8Q4Mti4jL-hNPmILizIpUpto/s1600/FLO.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR84CK2xwdMKCATqDq3oWZsBNoWNCqB__AeoQS-wDp5gbmLiPvCIdjeWFHn0v9m4A6xDlIahjIEmOwBdaaTwKOWbSlxd_UCn_vVDbMSMU2yyFD6uRA-3V8Q4Mti4jL-hNPmILizIpUpto/s200/FLO.gif" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1XHDTso5aPs/Ul9jijOb5II/AAAAAAAAA2s/KA-CdlJsKY0/s1600/WFTO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1XHDTso5aPs/Ul9jijOb5II/AAAAAAAAA2s/KA-CdlJsKY0/s200/WFTO.png" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tLaz20FrAgA/Ul9jivEZ-LI/AAAAAAAAA2w/j3ac3T8Y3oc/s1600/WFTO+Philippines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tLaz20FrAgA/Ul9jivEZ-LI/AAAAAAAAA2w/j3ac3T8Y3oc/s200/WFTO+Philippines.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The first one is the label of the Fairtrade International, or Fairtrade Labelling Organization (FLO), an organization certifying fair trade items. The second one is the logo and label of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), an international organization that certifies organizations as a whole as fair trade practitioners, such as Gifts & Graces Fair Trade, Inc. (G&G). The last one is the logo of the Filipino network of WFTO. </span><br />
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There are ten principles of Fair Trade that the WFTO prescribes (wfto.com):<br />
1. Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers<br />
2. Transparency & accountability<br />
3. Fair Trading practices<br />
4. Payment of a fair price<br />
5. Ensuring no child labor and forced labor<br />
6. Commitment to non-discrimination, gender equity and women’s economic empowerment and freedom of association<br />
7. Ensuring good working conditions<br />
8. Providing capacity building<br />
9. Promoting Fair Trade<br />
10. Respect for the environment. <br />
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As part of the movement, Gifts & Graces is a not-for-profit Fair Trade social enterprise, championing disadvantaged communities in their quest to overcome marginalization and poverty through livelihoods. G&G primarily provides three key business solutions to livelihood programs: product development, market access, and capability building. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society.
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You wanna know more about fair trade? Here are some websites:</div>
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- FLO: <a href="http://www.fairtrade.net/about-us.html">http://www.fairtrade.net/about-us.html</a></div>
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- WFTO: <a href="http://www.wfto.com/">http://www.wfto.com/</a></div>
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- WFTO Asia: <a href="http://wfto-asia.com/">http://wfto-asia.com/</a></div>
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- Fair Trade resource network: <a href="http://www.fairtraderesource.org/">http://www.fairtraderesource.org/</a></div>
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Jeremy</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Gifts and Graces believes in the power of social entrepreneurship as a means to overcome marginalization and poverty. Empowered to earn an income by producing quality hand crafted items, individuals and communities achieve a dignified standard of living, gain pride and become self-reliant members of society. By buying their products, you give them a hand up!
Contact us info@giftsandgraces.com
Visit us at www.giftsandgraces.com.</div>Gifts and Graces Fair Trade Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614160422059988372noreply@blogger.com0