Earth Day 2009. Visuals.

Wind turbines in Oklahoma, USA.


Kathmandu water pollution. 0% oxygen. Nothing can survive in this river except disease.


Our President leading the way.


Global Effort.


Let's dissect a tree.


Plant a tree with a friend.


Climate change. This polar bear is wearing a life jacket??


Michelle flexing her muscle for the Earth!





We aren't the only ones roaming around.




Virgin Islands- Climate change is contributing to the bleaching of coral reefs. The top photo shows a healthy staghorn coral reef, and the bottom one shows one that's been bleached. Photos by NOAA and Dave Burdick



Himalayas — Melting Mountains Glaciers in the Himalayas provide the water source for one-sixth of humanity. Now that water source is threatened by climate change, as the temperature rises, these reservoirs of ice disappear. Dubbed the 'Third Pole', for having the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar caps, the Himalayas boast 11 peaks over 26,246 feet and around 100 over 22,966 feet. Scientists predict that 80 percent of these glaciers will disappear within 30 years if current warming rates are maintained.



Skip on the plastic w/ Global Daughter's 100% cotton shopping bag.
It makes the Earth happy.

Until I see you again, Nepal

See you! (Erin with a Nepali street cow)

I am a professional at approaching airline ticket counters with ultra heavy baggage and extra suitcases. I beg, I argue and I cry to get the agent not to charge me to move my life from one country to the next. "But I'm moving two years here man, give me a break." Luggage packed to the brim and bags hanging off my body like a pack mule, I am usually able to get on the plane headed for the next city.

As I left Nepal this week, after almost two years, it was more than extra baggage that I was bringing back home with me. Along with hiking boots and Tibetan art, I have also packed a fair trade business, millions of memories with friends, and the love of a country. You can imagine how heavy this can all be and why I will not say "goodbye nepal" but rather, "until I see you again."

One and a half years has flown by in Nepal. For a country that is a behind in development, time sure does fly! Some days I felt like dancing in the street in the monsoon rains and some days I felt like lifting taxi drivers up by the throat. It was a roller coaster (of Himalayan proportions) of emotions and experiences. But, not a day went by that I did not know I was alive.

Global Daughter allowed me to travel the country and meet amazing women doing amazing things against all odds. Global Daughter has worked together with women artisans here and built personal and professional relationships with them and their families that will remain the foundation of this project. We started Global Daughter as two and now we have grown into a family. And you know what they say about family, family first! That is why we will continue to communicate with GD artisans and make it a priority to further their professional development.

Even though we are both back in America now, we are charged up and more energetic than ever to grow Global Daughter and continue to impact lives in a place that has become our home. I will now be in Seattle and Erika will continue initiatives in Los Angeles. In two markets, we hope to get maximum exposure for our project and connect more women in America with women in Nepal. Things may be daunting here at home with the economy, but the Global Daughter Movement will march on (now in two cities!).

We want to thank you all for supporting us. We are trying to tell the story of women in Nepal, and we will tell it until we are blue in the face, no matter where we are, to anyone who will listen. Erika and I have connected with women in Nepal, now we want to connect them...with YOU! If you have any comments or suggestions about this project or just have questions about women in Nepal, we would love to hear from you. We could both go on for days about women's issues in Nepal, so hit us up and make our day!

If you are in the Seattle or Los Angeles area and would like Erin or Erika to do a personal presentation about women in Nepal for your organization, friends, church group, or school, please contact us at info@globaldaughter.com.

Help us get blue in the face!

Women Artisans in Janakpur

Janakpur Arts and Crafts Center was the first artisan workshop we associated ourselves with over a year ago.This woman-owned and operated center produces original and distinctive designs and has been running for over 15 years. Janakpur is located in the southeast region of Nepal bordering India and is a world away from Kathmandu. The illiteracy rate is over 65% and education is still not looked at as a priority for many families in the area. Most of the women that work at the center have not been to school and some have tragic and painful stories of family abuse, personal loss, extreme poverty and caste discrimination.

The employment opportunity the center provides these women not only offers them a financial income, it also encourages their creativity and self confidence. By working at the center and gaining economic independence, they are role models for their daughters and success stories in their communities. The artisans work either at the center or in the comfort of their own homes (some of their husbands do not allow them to leave the house). Each artisan is specially-trained in a certain aspect of production, for example, master fabric cutter, detail painter, tailor, designers, etc.

On my current trip to the Center, I was able to meet up with women who we have worked with from the beginning. It was great to hear their stories and find that most of them are healthy. Ranju, the master seamstress who makes our cushion covers, has recovered fully from an emergency hysterectomy. That is good news. And since we were there last, they have added 5 women on staff. It is great to go into the workshop and be remembered and feel natural amongst the women artisans. We am proud to be working with them, for them and creating a connection between them and YOU!

Janakpur in Pictures

Janakpur is Global Daughter's home. We started working in this village over a year ago and it is the last place I go before I return to the U.S. This place is full of life, color, history, culture and of course, beautiful women. I visited the Janakpur Arts and Crafts Center, but after thousands of pictures and several days, I thought to share pictures from Janakpur separately. Tourists rarely visit this place (12- hour bus ride from Kathmandu) but I think it is the gem of the country. We all connect to different places differently. The people here are family..I actually have people recognize me from our trip there a year ago! (I am sure the white hair has nothing to do with it!) When I am there, at the workshop or walking down the street with the ox carts and women dressed in the most intense and magical colors, I feel like I got the memo on life.