Today we sit down with Gretchen Huijskens, founder of Trades of Hope, to trace her journey from orphan care in Haiti to fair trade job creation that keeps families together. Stories from Haiti, India, and Uganda show how dignified work restores voice and lifts women from crisis to choice.

Check out the Trades of Hope link - partner with us to lift women from poverty, give them a voice, and set them free

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Mentioned on the episode:
Trades of Hope

We Discuss:
• Why orphanages are band‑aids without jobs
• How ethical shopping and fair trade protect families
• Voice, income, and exits from abuse
• Moving from charity to partnership with artisans
• Ways listeners can take a first step today

More about Gretchen:
Gretchen Huijskens is co-founder and CEO of Trades of Hope, an ethical fashion brand that empowers women out of poverty by partnering with Artisan Partners in over worldwide. It is an exclusive line of high-quality, fair-trade accessories that allow people worldwide to use Fashion as a Force for Good.

Our Voices Rising is Gretchen's inspirational origin story about the start of Trades of Hope, after her first-hand experience of starting a charity in Haiti in the early 2000s. The charity included an orphanage, school, and medical clinic, but led Gretchen to the realization that most orphans in her care were only orphans because their mothers couldn’t afford to care for them. Gretchen’s perception of helping shifted when she realized the uncomfortable truth: that her charity was often just a band-aid on the real problems.

Gretchen completely changed her worldview and model of charity to a sustainable business model that empowered women to provide what their families really needed: access to education, medical care, nutritious food, a safe home, and clean water. Today Gretchen and the team at Trades of Hope continue to help women rise out of poverty, trafficking, and gender inequality by selling their fair-trade goods with small business support of women across the United States. Gretchen is a pioneer in the field of sustainable business, and the partnerships she creates empower every single woman involved around the world.

Connect with Gretchen:
Instagram: @gretchenhuijkens
Threads: @gretchenhuijskens

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Music: Home (Inspirational And Uplifting Acoustic Guitar) by Daniel Carrizalez
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