You may not know, I must confess that I didn’t until recently, but November 15th is Philanthropy Day. I’m sure I’m not the only one who welcomes the reminder to give back. In a typical day, I spend more time thinking about my appearance than I would like to admit. I always start out the day with intentions to bring a little positivity into the world, whether that means smile for my bleary-eyed housemate or a few extra coins thrown in the tip jar for the barista who brewed my coffee. After that, my actions take a turn for the careless. It’s not that I don’t want to think about helping the people around me, but the zombie-ifying impact of routine work. All of a sudden, I’ll notice a drop of rain and worry about how my shoes will survive the walk home. These self- absorbed thoughts enter my mind and just won’t budge.
Thankfully, I now have a beautiful reminder to give back everyday. As soon as I laid my eyes on the Wakami USA’s jewelry, I was in love. From thin and delicate wraps, to fashion-forward beaded bracelets, it was all I could do to stop myself from dropping them all in my shopping cart. I resisted, however, and clicked through their website to their ‘about us’ page. Wakami’s devotion to philanthropy enchanted me.
The Noir Gorgeous bracelet
The company works with artisans – the overwhelming majority are women in rural areas of Guatemala, connecting them to larger markets so they can sell their goods and bring more wealth back to their towns. That’s not all. They also enroll their employees in a two year business program to help them gain skills that will eventually allow them to produce products independently. Wakami USA has already seen serious improvement in the villages they support, with school attendance among children skyrocketing to 92% and malnutrition decreasing by 30% in the past year. If one jewelry company can do all of this, then we’re all able to step up our philanthropy game.
I did get that Wakami bracelet, the Noir Gorgeous to be exact, and wear it as a talisman to remind myself to put more positivity out into the world; that the little deeds we do on a daily basis can add up. So, this November 15th partnering up with your favorite charitable organization or by helping a stranger when they drop their bag, I urge you to remember that giving back is something that goes beyond a single day. You may need a bracelet to remember, you may need a holiday to kick start your efforts, but there isn’t a day that doesn’t present us with a blessed opportunity to give back.
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