Jewelry Design Contest Helps Women Rescued from Brothels

Do you have an idea for a stunning necklace or pendant? Would you like to use it to help hundreds of women who were rescued from brothels become skilled jewelers and make better lives for themselves?
 
Rising International has launched the Rising Pendant Design Challenge, where anyone with an idea for the design of the pendant can submit a sketch online and the winning design will be handcrafted by survivors of human trafficking in India. You can submit your design at www.sewlove.co/rising.

Rising International was started in Santa Cruz and has gone on to receive recognition around the world. Clint and Dina Eastwood were among early backers.

Proceeds from necklace sales will benefit these new global entrepreneurs, as well as under-employed women in the U.S. who will be responsible for selling the necklaces here. A complete financial breakdown is included below.
 
Design submissions will be accepted and voted on by the public. The top five designs by total vote count will be reviewed by a panel of judges.  The panel includes Emmy-nominated actress, Stephanie Kramer, best known for her role as Sgt. Dee Dee McCall on the NBC TV series Hunter, and fashion show producer and model, Charleston Pierce, a top model in Macy’s Passport fashion shows.
 
“We have a long waiting list of rescued women and girls who want to become artisan silversmiths, and leave the poverty and exploitation of their past behind once and for all,” said Sarah Symons, co-founder of Made by Survivors, the organization that created this self employment program. “It’s our hope that the Rising International Pendant Design Challenge creates a groundswell of interest in helping girls from falling prey to modern day slavery, and empowering them to design beautiful, free, independent futures for themselves.”
                              
Rising International is a non-profit organization on a mission to end extreme poverty by enabling the world’s poorest people - women - to join the global economy. The organization stages home parties to sell products made by impoverished women such as these former slaves.  Think Avon or Tupperware with a social cause. In addition, Rising International trains under-employed women in the U.S. to run their own Rising Home Party businesses.
 
With the pro-bono assistance of ISM Entertainment, a product placement company, Rising International plans to provide the winning necklace to a variety of TV and film actresses to gain wide spread exposure.
 
“We’ve trained over a hundred girls to be artisan jewelers, designers and peer trainers, transforming their lives, families and communities.  If Rising International can sell  10,000 winning necklaces, we could train over 100 more women, send over 100 child survivors to school, and help them change their destinies forever,” said Sarah Symons.
 
Challenge details can be found at www.sewlove.co/rising. The deadline for design submissions is January 10, 2013. Rising International is encouraging its supporters to pre-order the winning Rising International Necklace for holiday gifts. Pre-ordered necklaces can be purchased at www.sewlove.co/pages/rising-necklace .
 
According to Rising International, it plans to allocate winning necklace proceeds as follows:
Hypothetical Retail Price: $60.00 (price unknown until the winning design is chosen)
35% - goes to Made By Survivors’ aftercare jewelry program.
20% - goes to an under-employed woman in the U.S. who runs her own Rising International business.
20% - goes to local entrepreneurial mentoring and training for low income women.
15% - goes to global entrepreneurial program development for low income women.
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90% goes to program costs
10% - goes to admin/overhead