Hands Up Not Handouts

"The idea that people give to charity because they are supposed to isn't sustainable, and people who need help deserve real long-term commitment. Finding ways to serve your self-interest fuels that commitment…as a result of serving my self-interest, I end up giving much more." - Bobby Sager

The Sager Family Foundation and Traveling Road Show is thrilled to announce the mid September launch of its latest powerful initiative, Hands Up Not Handouts, that mentors women of the developing world in the design and production of unique, one-of-a-kind goods. The initiative focuses on helping women artisans translate their traditional handicrafts into high-quality and innovative products that can be marketed at a premium price, using the profits to support the women’s families and communities. All of the products featured in the program, in addition to being cool and hip, serve as symbols of friendship, hope and global connection bridging not only the cultural divide but also the economic one. The Sager family uses their business acumen and passion for design to work closely with the artisans on product development, strategy, marketing and distribution, creating a significant return on investment for all involved.

Hands Up Not Handouts supports several women cooperatives around the world. The first to be featured on its e-commerce website (HandsupNothandouts.org), are collections from Rwanda and Palestine. The Qalandia Women’s Cooperative in the Qalandia Refugee Camp in the West Bank of Palestine has created stylish, traditionally embroidered bracelets for men and women that are just beginning to penetrate the global market. In Rwanda, Hands Up Not Handouts works with two basket-making cooperatives, Agaseke and Gahaya Links, to create earrings and necklaces using traditional basket weaving techniques. Agaseke is a public program that trains and employs women from the capital city of Kigali, lifting them out of poverty and allowing them to eat three meals and day and send their children to school. Gahaya Links, a private program, works with poor women all over the country, whether they are former prostitutes, HIV positive, or just desolate and out of work to train them in this traditional skill. Gahaya Links is currently selling baskets in Starbucks and Macy's.

This extraordinary brand of micro-enterprise fits within the Foundation’s big-picture vision of connecting the dots with people in the developing world and the creation of strategic, innovative projects and programs that lead toward sustainability. What better return on investment is there other than positive social change? Hands Up Not Handouts.

To learn more visit: www.handsupnothandouts.org