A woman in one of Trades of Hope's 17 partner countries displays a necklace she is working on. The organization offers women a living wage in exchange for handcrafted creations, helping them escape everything from extreme poverty to the sex trade.A local stay-at-home mom is trying to save the world, one poverty-stricken woman at a time.
Tricia Sherlin recently became a "compassionate entrepreneur," or a saleswoman for Trades of Hope, a company that works with impoverished communities around the world to give women jobs as artisans, making jewelry, bags and clothing.
In her first three months, Sherlin said she sold over $10,000 worth of life-changing accessories, setting up shop at events like the "Ladies Christmas Extravaganza" hosted in December at Morning Pointe of Collegedale.
"I felt really compelled that this was something I wanted to be a part of," Sherlin said of TOH.
She sells the wares - everything from jewelry and accessories to home decor and body products - online and at events and home parties.
Trades of Hope sets up safe, fair trade working environments for women in their home country and provides crucial benefits like child care and job skills education. According to Sherlin, because of the company's work in Haiti, mothers there don't have to give up their children to an orphanage, which they are often forced to do when faced with such poverty.
The small island nation is the poorest country in the Americas and one of the poorest countries in the world, according to the World Bank. Fifty-nine percent of its 10.4 million residents live under the national poverty line of $2.41 per day and 24 percent live under the national extreme poverty line of $1.23 per day, the World Bank reports.
TOH is set up in 17 different countries including the U.S.
"I feel like I am a voice for these women," Sherlin said.
On top of sustainability, Sherlin has been able to share charitable gifts through TOH with those in need in the partner countries. For example, she was able to give a bike to a girl in Cambodia so she could get to and from school. A dozen baby chicks were given in Sherlin's name to a family in Africa, and a water wheel was given to a woman in India.
TOH's products average $30 apiece. The style varies based on the country where it was made. For example, bracelets from Haiti are made out of cereal boxes, while bracelets from Uganda are made from paper.
Some of the hottest-selling items are Guatemalan-made backpacks bursting with color and in the shape of a turtle, as well as those Haitian cereal box bracelets, said Sherlin.
The sale of such items provided full-time employment for 9,440 people and part-time employment for 3,906 people last year. TOH reports that "all of our artisans receive, at least, a living wage for their region, not just a minimum wage. They earn 3-6 times more than the average income for their country."
Last year, those earnings translated into 14,541 people receiving health aid and 16,525 children being educated, according to the organization's annual report.
"All of us are little, tiny ripples," Sherlin said in regards to the Mother Teresa quote, "I cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."
To connect with Sherlin, visit facebook.com/tdsherlinTradesofHope.
Email Alex Farmer at afarmer@timesfreepress.com