Retazo, coming to you soon...

Let’s start the day with a quick quizz. Are you ready? In your opinion, what amount of textile is simply trashed each year? Any idea? Ok, I will help you; we are talking about millions of tons. Still no clue? Every year, 13.1 million tons of textiles are trashed and only 15% of those are recycled, when the half of it is perfectly reusable. If you did not guess it, don’t worry, you’re part of the 78% of the population, unaware of the issue.

And now you are all wondering where is he going towards? What’s the purpose of talking about textiles trashes? Ok, let’s end a part of the suspense and watch the following video.

Yes, Gifts and Graces is cooking something for you, something old and fresh in the same time, something trendy made out of what could be considered outdated. We receive many different and interesting textiles from a generous partner based in the United States. But what to do with it? Throwing it was out of the question. Marge, our designer, together with our partner communities got an idea. 

And what if those scrap fabrics could become fashionable? So Gifts & Graces decided to offer its design input, together with the skills of our talented partners and this is what you get: a whole new line of bags, actual with a touch of vintage. You want to know more about it? Be patient, more exciting news are coming soon, so keep posted.  

Jeremy

G&G Celebrates Amazing Women in 2013

This year, Gifts and Graces celebrated Women's Month with another Amazing Women exhibit. The exhibit was hosted by SM Southmall. This year, instead of individual women, we featured women's organizations that empower women. We wanted to tell the story not just of Filipino organizations but also those in Asia. From the Philippines we featured Caritas Manila, PAMANA ng Pag-Asa Cooperative, Kaibhan and Nanay Linda Casimiro of Pandacan. From Asia we featured Laxmi Majrjan and Rupa Biswa Karma both from Nepal. Below is the story of Freeset, an organization that works to help women be free from the bondage of prostitution

Being a fair trade organization, we featured the stories alongside the products that empower women.

Newspaper bags, brass bells, woven plastic bags

Agate bag charms, Soy candles, Embroidered pillows, travel sets, woven retaso coin purses

On weekends we featured product demonstrations. Here Ate Liezel Quismorio from Pandacan, Manila assembles mini origami stars made from magazine pages.

Our visitors also expressed support for our advocacies aligned with the Fair Trade Principles. Here's a collage of students, families, friends who support Fair Trade, the environment, women empowerment, micro-enterprises and Filipino craftsmen, and non-discrimination.

Among our visitors were some kids who played with the wood toys made by Tahanang Walang Hagdanan.

We were also visited by our Capacity Building Program participants

and a group of women from the Department of Tourism - NCR who made the visit part of their women empowerment program for the day.

Watch out for our succeeding posts on the stories of the organizations we featured as well as our simple program to highlight the importance of supporting women.

And of course we hope you can join us next year when we celebrate another group of Amazing Women in 2014.

National Women's Month: Amazing Women Exhibit

As part of National Women's Month, Gifts & Graces in conjuction with SM Supermalls' SM Cares program is holding a month long exhibit celebrating the stories of 5 women leaders from our community partners. The women include Cielo Bueno of the Kaakbay Entre-workers Cooperative, Sr. Celerina of The Holy Spirit, Haydee Panhilason of Heidie's Crafts, Mel Nuqui of DAWN and FCED President Ms. Teresita Silva; all highly inspirational women that are helping to change lives through their organisations.

The exhibit entitled, "Amazing Women: Women On a Mission to Empower and Nurture," launched yesterday at SM Southmall (to coincide with International Women's Day) and will run until Friday March 16. On 19 March the exhibit will move to SM Megamall for one week until 23 March. Finally the exhibit will be at SM Mall of Asia from 26 March until 31 March.

Highlights of the exhibit include inspirational talks given by the women leaders, demonstrations of fabric weaving and bag making, craft activities as well as an Expression Wall where you can leave your special message for the important women in your life. Do come and support G&G at this special event, you can even purchase your favorite G&G products at the exhibit's bazaar.

We will also be posting the stories of our women leaders right here on our blog throughout the month.

Gifts and Graces celebrates Women Power

The Empowered Women of Gifts and Graces

 

“Empowered women and girls have a truly transformative role to play in all our societies, with benefits for all.  Around the world, healthy, educated, employed, and empowered women break poverty cycles – not only for themselves, but for their families, communities, and countries too.”

- Helen Clark, administrator, U.N. Development Program             

 

 

International Women's Month, observed in March every year, honors women and their contributions to society. To celebrate women's month this year, Gifts and Graces will hold a roving exhibit from March 3 to April 1, 2011 dubbed Women Empowerment through Livelihood and Entrepreneurship that pays tribute to the women we have been privileged to meet and work with, who have dared overcome poverty through entrepreneurship. This month-long exhibit at four major SM Malls - SM MOA, SM Southmall, SM Megamall, and SM North Edsa includes an ongoing product demonstration on weekends and a chance to meet one of our remarkable women producers. 

Exhibit at SM Southmall

Visitors stop in to watch the crafts demonstration at Southmall

Exhibit at SM Mall of Asia

The exhibit showcases the stories of six wonderful women from five Gifts and Graces partner communities: Ate Zeny of Kapitbahayan, Ate Minda and Juliet from FCED Foundation, Aling Marina of Kaibhan, Ate Jenny of Alay Kapwa Tindahan, and Ate Lita of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan. Their stories of empowerment includes finding their voice and becoming leaders in their communities, being able to send their children to school, and finding pride in what they do. Intertwined in the stories of these six women are the products they make with pride and are championed under the G&G brand. The products handcrafted by these women are imbued with love and the spirit of determination with which they were made.

From left to right: Tessa Valdez, Sandy Romualdez, Juliet Quimbo, Marina Espera, Jenny Llamado, Zeny de Guzman, Annie Garcia. Seated: Lita Evangelista

On March 24, Gifts and Graces held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the SM Megamall Atrium. The event was attended by Gifts and Graces president Sandy Romualdez, donor and patron Tessa Valdez, SM President and G&G Board member Annie Garcia, SM Women's Committee Head Jen Colayco and SM Megamall officers as well as G&G partners. Tessa Valdez made a donation of P50,000 to Gifts and Graces in behalf of Assumption Batch 81.

To read more about the exhibit, please follow the links to The Manila Bulletin and the Philippine Daily Inquirer who wrote about the exhibit. Thanks to Tessa, MB, PDI, Annie Garcia and SM Supermalls and all those who supported the event! Gifts and Graces works with many more women who in turn have their own stories. We hope to feature their stories through our newsletters and this blog in the months to come.