These Gifts Tell A Story

These Gifts Tell a Story The group behind Gifts and Graces, or G&G, a non-government organization (NGO) focused on helping improve the quality of handcrafted products made by marginalized communities, like to say that each of their items has a story to tell. The G&G tote bags, which are great substitutes for supermarket plastic bags, for instance, are made from tarpaulin that once graced the metro as billboards. Past their scheduled exposure, the tarpaulin images are brought down from their lofty perches, cut into pieces, and assigned to the women of the Isla para sa Kaunlaran Enterprise in Maricaban, Pasay City, to sew together. The recycled bags have enabled sewers like Thelma Coroza to go beyond a hand-tomouth existence and earn as much as P2,000 a month. Coroza relishes the idea that she can now serve a meat dish to her family once a week. Moreover, her additional income has also bought her visible proof of improvements in her quality of life -- a cellphone, a TV set and DVD player. Best of all, her earnings have given Thelma a new sense of empowerment that comes from enjoying the fruits of her labor. "It translates to a fresh outlook on life -- new hope that spills over to her family and neighbors," notes Ms. Greg Perez, G&G executive director. From another perspective, the tarpaulin bags, home accessories, candles and food products sold by Gifts and Graces have cast a similar halo on those who purchase them. Positioned as the gifts with the power to improve lives, G&G items give their buyers the assurance that they can do something about bridging social inequities. "People in general like to contribute to worthy causes especially those that alleviate the poverty that is all around us," remarks Perez.

Gifts and Graces was established by Philippine Daily Inquirer president Sandy PrietoRomualdez and Marge Macasaet Barro of the League of Corporation Foundations. By outsourcing the labor to poor communities or by buying some of the products of the NGOs and retailing them at bazaars and gift fairs, the group fills in a gap in the social development process. Perez observes that while there are many groups involved in teaching crafts and skills to supplement the income of the poor, there are few focused on helping them come up with products that will compete in the marketplace. After G&G tweaks a detail or two to make a handbag or candle more attractive, it then brings these products to bazaars, malls, tiangges and other venues where they are further differentiated by the social impact they create. G&G's intervention has been of great help to the Pag-asa sa Paglaya Multipurpose Cooperative which trains ex-inmates in candle- and bread-making. Their wax replicas of green and red apples and pears were G&G bestsellers last December and have greatly assisted the likes of Artemio Dumaring who served a six-year sentence at the National Penitentiary for his involvement with drugs. While in prison, Dumaring knew that his chances of landing a regular job after serving his term would be greatly diminished by his record. He grabbed the chance to learn a new livelihood making candles and in the process discovered a new way to provide for himself and his family. Candlemaking has served as his lifeline for over a decade now. Like Dumaring, George Radang likewise experienced the gift of a fresh start through G&G and its partner organization Tahanang Walang Hagdanan. He was severely depressed after he lost his legs in a train accident. His search for renewed relevance led him to Tahanang

Walang Hagdanan where he mastered woodworking. Today his skills bring in sufficient income to meet his rental fees, food and other basic needs. Of the over 50 items carried by G&G, however, the beaded products by the students of The Learning Center(TLC) would perhaps most qualify as labors of love. TLC is a school for special needs individuals. One of the beaders is 21-year-old Koko Gomez who strings together his pieces with passion and intensity. He is equally enthused by the idea that he can make money through this activity. Becoming a Gifts and Graces-partner community takes more than just having a poor community-beneficiary or an environment-friendly agenda. The foundation requires partner communities to be willing to engage in fair trade practices such as complying with environmental, wage and child labor regulations, discloses Perez. Ultimately the stories of Thelma Coroza, Artemio Dumaring, George Radang, are stories of fulfilling hopes and dreams through hard work and perseverance. G&G boosts the process by searching for ways to come up with higher quality products to market to more consumers. "We see our work as a means of giving the marginalized a hand up rather than a handout," observes Perez with the confidence that comes from a growing track record. ########