GD now in The Wine Shack in Cannon Beach!

Some of you may not know that among many of our handmade gifts are the beautiful and eco-friendly wine bags. On a recent trip down the Oregon Coast I stumbled into the adorable and earthy Wine Shack in search of the perfect Pinot Noir. Not only did I end up with two unique Oregon Pinots, but a new client who now carries all three of our wine bag styles. Our Lokta wine bags are the perfect compliment to the design of The Wine Shack and the quality selection of local wines. Erin and I could not be more thrilled to be in Cannon Beach, the town in which the idea for Global Daughter began, and we hope next time you are there you'll stop by and enjoy some wine!

Global Daughters Unite!

Erika came up to Seattle from LA for a week of Global Daughter fun and frenzy. It was a week of spreading the word and uniting our Global Daughter forces! We have found that when we are together we are an unstoppable team of strength, passion and creativity. The train is moving....all aboard!

We were able to do our first Fair Trade Home Parties together and connect with new and old GD supporters. Thank you to Karl, Bev, Steffen and Caryn for hosting parties and lending their beautiful homes to Global Daughter for the afternoon. Summer is in full swing and people are ready to celebrate and join in on the fun with Global Daughter! To get involved, click here to book your party today and receive a free Om Copper Tray and 25% off your ENTIRE order!

Thank you Bev!

Thanks, Kaaaaaarl!

Chat Noir Photographie

Global Daughter is so proud of everyone associated with this project and we want to make sure that they are recognized as part of the team! We are very fortunate to have photographer and all-around sparkly saint, Kerrigan Swan-Garcia, shooting our products. We fell in love with her work and asked if she could help us coordinate the visual aspects of Global Daugther's products. From the beginning she has been so gracious with her time and talent- we look forward to one day bringing her with us around the world to capture the spirit and life of GD women artisans.

Let us introduce you to this amazingly loving and creative woman. In her own words....

Life is funny; sometimes we come full circle in ways we do not expect. Over 15 years ago (geez!) I was very actively involved with Riot Grrrl and one of the many things that drew me to the “modern feminist movement” was the aspect of women supporting and encouraging other women instead of believing that we must always be in competition with one another and/or put each other down to get ahead in business, life, and relationships.

After some brushes with death and experiencing numerous serious health concerns at a fairly young age, I struggled with the knowledge that I would leave no legacy upon my passing. Through photography, I strive to find beauty in unusual places and leave something beautiful behind in my wake.

There is so much in this world that is over-looked in every day life… the way sun glints off kitty whiskers after they lap up water, the inherent grace and symmetry of light and shadow underneath a rusty old Northern Pacific Railway car, the careful expression and deliberately emotive care in memorial statuary. These are the moments I endeavor to capture in hopes that someone else might feel a stirring in their soul or find comfort in a lonely time through my pictures. I truly believe that there is beauty and wonder all around us – if we are wise enough to see.

Kerrigan's work has recently been featured in "Capture El Paso" a collection of photographs representing the city's landscapes. She has also been a finalist in National Geographic's 2008 International Photo Contest for an amazing portrait.



Kerrigan signing her photo featured in the "Capture El Paso" photography book at the release party in Texas. (Available now at Barnes and Noble)

Enjoy some samples of Kerrigan's work...






For more information about Chat Noir Photographie or to view galleries and purchase prints, please go to: http://www.chatnoirphotographie.com/

First National GD Fair Trade Party!

We are very pleased to announce that Global Daughter has gone National! We had our first Fair Trade Party in Fort Wayne, Indiana courtesy of Joan and Adam. They reported an amazing turnout and response to the product and the story behind it. We are looking forward to expanding our parties throughout the US, and thanks to Joan and Adam it seems like this could be a very successful endevour for women right here at home.
If you are interested in becoming a Global Daughter Consultant please contact Erika at erika@globaldaughter.com

Thanks again to Joan, Adam, Amanda, and Fort Wayne for your support!

The Display


Global Son??


The Hostess Joan put out quite a spread!

Filling out their orders.

Trouble deciding? Take them all!

Sewing Machine Project Update

In the past two months Global Daughter has been able to raise the funds to purchase two sewing machines for our women producers at the Janakpur Arts and Crafts Center. In a shopping trip with our lead designer, Lanjana, and co-owner of the Center, Ajit, we decided on an electric sewing machine and a foot peddle "fashion maker." Lanjana was very excited to have a new and modern machine- especially the fashion maker which will allow for better finishing work and detail.

Both machines were presented in Janakpur to the workshop's manager, Rina. Due to major flooding in the area, GD could not attend the ceremony to bless the sewing machines. We did, however, receive a letter from Rina thanking us and our contributors for the new additions. She said they look forward to beginning work with the machines as soon as possible.

We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the project by either purchasing a GD signature shopping bag or donating funds. We were overwhelmed by the out pour of support for the cause and will be extending the project so that we can purchase more supplies for the center in the future.

The success of this project inspires us to find new ways to assist women artisans and provide them with the tools to be successful. Stay tuned to learn what new GD project you can be a part of!

On behalf of Global Daughter and the woman at JAC, thank you for making a difference....one stitch at a time.

*A very special thanks to Kerry Clark of Federal Way and to the Auburn Soroptomist Group for their extremely generous donations.

Purchase your "I am a Global Daughter" shopping bag today to join the Sewing Machine Project...

Find a GD Holiday Event Near You!

This season don't just give a gift....tell a story.

Please visit us at one of the events listed below this holiday season to pick up your handmade-fair trade gifts. With prices starting as low as $5 you don't have to worry about going over your limit and you can still make a purchase that matters!

Thursday, November 20th
Holiday Magic Chat Party, Seattle
The Fairview Club
2022 Boren Ave. Seattle 98121
6PM-9PM
Tickets: $44.00 per person. Includes appetizers, wine and shopping. No-host bar provided. Please visit http://www.chatwithwomen.com/ for your ticket or more information.

Saturday, November 22nd
Rock Creek Shopping Parade, Maple Valley
Rock Creek Housing Community
Start Time: 10AM (All Day Event)
*This is an event put on by Rock Creek Community. There will be open houses with a wide range of gift items for sale. Please email erika@globaldaughter.com for Global Daughter's specific address at this event.

Saturday, November 29th
Holiday Open House, Kirkland
10AM-8PM
*Please join us for food, shopping, special holiday discounts, and fun for an all day open house. Please email erika@globaldaughter.com for more details.

Saturday, December 6th
Tyee Holiday Bazaar, Sea Tac
4424 S. 188th St Sea Tac, 98188
9AM-4PM
*Sponsored by DECA, this is a great opportunity to pick up some unique gifts from local crafters and of course Global Daughter!

In addition to these events, Global Daughter is continuing to throw Fair Trade House Parties. If you are interested in hosting a party, please contact Erika. The hostess will receive a free gift in addition to 50% of any item.

Our online boutique, www.globaldaughter.com is also a great place to do your holiday shopping. Between now and the holidays spend $150 or more and receive free shipping!

We hope to see you at one of our events! Thanks to everyone for their continued support of Global Daughter.

The Word is Spreading....

Global Daughter was featured in this week's Business Examiner. We invite you to read the article below:


Global Daughter aims for worldwide focus on foreign exports
10/27/2008
Source: Business Examiner
Author: Breanne Coats

There are numerous Web sites that sell unique products to customers online. There are also numerous female advocacy sites on the Web as well. What two Auburn natives felt was missing, though, was a combination of these two types of sites.

Global Daughter works with Nepali women designers, painters, tailors, master cutters and jewelers on a regular basis to create products that the business can then sell to Western consumers.

Owners Erika Mosebach and Erin Miller started Global Daughter to empower working women in Nepal. They are in charge of the Web site, www.globaldaughter.com, but all of the products that are sold through the Internet site are produced by women in the Himalayan mountains.
“We started from scratch and are trying to fine tune,” Mosebach said. “We want to give them all the tools to succeed.”

The company uses the phrase, “for women, by women, inspired by all women,” to promote its products.

The site features the following types of merchandise: jewelry, handbags, natural paper, home decor, organic tea and children’s products. From business cards, product tags and screening on merchandise, Mosebach said, women in Nepal not only make the products they sell, but also the various things they use to promote Global Daughter.

When shopping at places with “fair trade” products, Mosebach said, sometimes customers can't be sure if the businesses really are abiding by fair trade practices.

But with Global Daughter, people can rest assured, she said, since either she or her partner will actually be in Nepal helping the women get materials and paying them for their products directly.

In the future, Mosebach and Miller plan to expand Global Daughter to other countries. Their next stop will probably be Cambodia, Mosebach said.

Global Daughter started with Nepal because the two founders had a personal connection there and wanted to do something to help. It is one of the poorest countries in the world and the level of corruption there makes it even harder for money to trickle down to the regular citizens.
Global Daughter aims to get money directly into residents’ hands, specifically women, since they are often viewed as second-class citizens.
While the online boutique’s merchandise is made from products found in Nepal, Global Daughter does not try to make its products “scream Nepal.” Rather, Mosebach said, they are aiming to make their products more marketable in the United States.

The business has especially formed a close relationship with the artisans and management of Janakpur Arts and Crafts Center. This center provides clean working conditions, fair and reasonable working hours and wages. It also provides in-workshop meals to its women workers, according to Global Daughter.

To help get their business rolling, Mosebach has been hosting Global Daughter parties. She goes to people’s homes and shares the stories of its operations and the women it works with from Nepal. People can pay for and receive Global Daughter’s products at these parties.
“We’ve just had a great response,” Mosebach said. “Women love to get together and shop for a cause.”

While the two entrepreneurs do hope they can make some sort of living from the site, Mosebach said it is really more about making change in the lives of Nepali women.

Mosebach and Miller have to deal with a lot of unforeseen problems.

For example, the people in Nepal frequently go on strike. And when they do, no one works, which can stall the online retailer’s business.

Also, if one of the women who makes a particular product gets sick, Global Daughter may just have to go without that product until the woman-producer gets better.

Yet, these issues do not deter Mosebach and Miller from following through with their goals.
“The mission is to hopefully empower women worldwide to lift themselves out of poverty,” Mosebach said.

Fair Trade ll Fair Aid

Global Daughter is committed to Fair Trade standards. What is Fair Trade?

*Providing fair wages in the local context,
*Supporting safe, healthy, and participatory workplaces,
*Supplying financial and technical support to build capacity,
*Promoting environmental sustainability,
*Respecting cultural identity,
*Offering public accountability and transparency,
*Building direct and long-term relationships, and
*Educating consumers.

For more information please visit www.globaldaughter.com

Ink

We are pleased to announce our second bit of Global Daughter Press! This interview was taken in our hometown of Auburn, Washington and appeared in the Saturday edition of the Auburn Reporter. We look forward to more exposure in the future and appreciate all the support!

Auburn tandem extends helping hand to struggling women half a world away
By ROBERT WHALE
Auburn Reporter News reporter
Sep 20 2008

With refueling stops in New York and Abu Dhabi, 35 bone-numbing hours separate SeaTac Airport from its counterpart in Kathmandu, Nepal.

But more than physical space separates those compass points. Nepal, one of the poorest countries on Earth, recently has passed through the bloody trial of 12 years of civil war that wrenched it from a monarchy to a democracy.

Kathmandu, its capitol city, reeks with garbage, its air is choked by automobile exhaust fumes, its sacred river is fouled beyond description. Water-borne diseases kill thousands of people every year.

Auburn natives Erika Mosebach and Erin Miller, who live in Nepal, say that it also is one of the few countries in the world where women, working 16-hour days with little or no pay and subject to all kinds of degradation, die before the men.

Mosebach and Miller, best friends from childhood and at 27 seasoned world travelers, are doing something to ease the lot of their sisters across the globe.

Their brainchild is Global Daughter, an on-line fair trade, global boutique aimed at improving the economic standing of vulnerable women in Nepal. Its goal is to help the women there earn a better living by selling their handiwork all over the world, not just in their local marketplaces.

Global Daughter dates to the spring of 2007 when Miller volunteered in Nepal. She would later show Mosebach some beautiful handicrafts from her adventure.

“Later, we both did a volunteer project there, and the idea kind of spun after that,” said Mosebach. “What we saw was that all these poor countries are getting money from different donors, but it’s never trickling down to the people who actually need it because so often the governments are corrupt.”

In January 2008, Mosebach who with Miller had spent three years traveling through Asia, moved to Nepal and Global Daughter was born. Through fair-trade initiatives and skills development training, Global Daughter creates an opportunity for otherwise marginalized women to find an outlet for their talent and connect to the global market.

And because they actually live in Nepal, Mosebach and Miller are able to connect with women in profound ways.

That’s how they met Urmilla, a 70-year-old widow, and her 24-year-old daughter, Roma, who takes care of her. Mosebach and Miller first ran into them on a visit to one of the local markets, where they sell their beaded jewelry.

“They haven’t worked with any foreigners before and don’t speak any English,” Mosebach said. “We get a local guy from the market to help translate the stuff. Their house is just a room that they pay $14 a month in rent for. There’s a bed in there, and they sit on the floor and bead all day and bring their stuff to the market. We have started having them make these Cleopatra malla necklaces, which are our biggest seller. They might sell a piece or two at the market, but now since we have started working with them, we have increased their orders. Now they can make twice the average daily income.

“… They are ecstatic,” Mosebach said. “They have never worked with a foreigner before, and here they have gone from selling maybe a piece or two a day to having these big orders. It is going to change their lives dramatically.”

For one thing, the spike in income will enable the women to send their daughters, not just their sons, to school.

Such success and business acumen might come as a surprise to some considering neither is a business major – Mosebach holds a B.A. in European studies and Miller has a B.A. in philosophy.

Mosebach and Miller have financed everything themselves. They saved money living in Japan where they taught English to kids.

“What we are trying to do is provide women with skills development training and give them the resources and tools they need to be financially independent and successful,” Mosebach said. “We take the skills that they already know, working with textiles, handmade paper and jewelry, and we modify their designs or give them new ideas so that we can bring their handicrafts to the Western market.”

Nepal, Mosebach said, is such a landlocked country that it is hard to get in and out of, and it is hard to import and export goods. For this reason, the economic boom that swept over India and China bypassed Nepal.

“... They have never been a democracy before, so the people don’t really know how to deal with that or what that means. So basically, the country is in disarray, and there is no real government there; they are just trying to figure everything out. And because of that, there are still a lot of problems,” Mosebach said.

Mosebach has been in Auburn since July but will return to Nepal in January. Miller is still in Nepal.

“I am back here handling all the logistics and marketing of the business, including the launch of the Web site. It’s been a tedious process,” Mosebach said. “We used the resources we had in Nepal to get our website done, but it’s hard to do that when you lose power for eight hours a day.”

Mosebach said she and Miller expect the Nepal operation to run itself in a few years. At that point they will move on, likely to Cambodia, and repeat their success there.

“Our ultimate dream is for women worldwide to know what their value is, what their worth is. We want to improve living conditions for women all over the world and provide economic independence for these people, help lift them out of situations of poverty and abuse,” Mosebach said.

“... Not every woman is a mother, not every woman is a wife, but every woman is a daughter, so we can all identify with that,” Mosebach added.

To read more and to view their products, visit www.globaldaughter.com.

Auburn Reporter News reporter Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@reporternewspapers.com or 253-833-0218, ext. 5052.

Business as Usual...

It has been quite a unique experience starting and running a business in Nepal smoothly. Daily, things happen that effect the production and delivery of Global Daughter handicrafts. It could be the personal health of one of the women (or their children), it could be a security situation in the country, it could be a religious festival (and there are plenty!), it could be a fuel shortage or a vehicle strike. So, while we try to conduct a western-style business, we always have to plan for the "unexpected" and not assume that things will flow as we like. It is the reason we wanted to start the GD project in Nepal, but the exact reason that makes it so frustrating. We think some of the hurdles that come up from time to time are so unique to Nepal, we thought we would share them with you, the customer, so you can appreciate your GD products in a whole new light!

Doing business in Nepal means...


Petrol lines
Not being able to get your goods from the Terai Region (Indian border) because there is no petroleum in the country.


Main highway
Having to walk 10 miles to meet producers because of transportation strikes (no vehicles on the road) in Kathmandu.


Urmila
The 70 year old artisan that makes your necklaces will get dysentery and be in the hospital for a month. (She is now recovering at home.)


Tea Garden in Dhankutta
The tea garden you work with in the mountains will be forceably shut down by the communist party labour unions, halting production on your tea items.


Lokta paper drying process
If there is no sun, the handmade paper used to make journals, albums, etc. will not dry, therefore, monsoon season will be a nightmare for production .


"The Mover"
This guy gets your product from the apartment to the airport....


Erika in the Rickshaw
Having to hire rickshaws for the desperately hot 4 hour ride from Janakpur to Bardibas because there is a national strike due to the elections. Poor driver. I have never seen so much sweat on a human being. Quite the ride from village to village, though. I don't think the people had every seen two foreign women in rickshaws travelling the length of the highway. Talk about integrating into a culture.


Jatra festival
If their is a religious festival in the city or the village, it trumps all work, even if there is a deadline. Forget about it.


India/Nepal border
The Koshi River flood that has devastated Nepal and India this monsoon season, will wipe out the highway that leads from your copper producers in the village to Kathmandu, crippling the supply of all goods to and from. This was such a tragic situation for the people scattered throughout these villages. Now they are homeless, hungry, and facing water-borne diseases daily. With the highway underwater and closed, there is no way to or from the areas that were hit, leaving people literally stranded.

However, it also means..


School in Janakpur (no building, just outside seating)
You get to spend time with the artisan's children at school.



Machupachare Peak, Pokhara
You get views like this on "business trips."



Kamala (Bead Goddess)
You might run into the woman that makes your bangle bracelets at the bead bazaar


Palistha Paper Workshop
You get to know the women behind the products. You get to hear their stories, forge friendships and see the difference fair trade can make.


Cotton wheel, Bardibas
You get to personally see your goods made from start to finish, by hand, by women, and with care.

Caryn & Stefen Party for GD!

Handmade Photo Corners & Gift Wrap

Au Naturale 5- tier Photo Frame

Naya Copper Leaf Votive Holder

Paul and Prachanda party with bubbly.

Beads Galore

Parties! Parties! Parties!

Global Daughter has been partying for Fair Trade like crazy. August parties kicked off in Kirkland with Global Sister Brianna throwing the biggest party yet. The women really loved the silver earrings, the new Cleopatra Malla necklaces, and the original nettle and cotton cushion covers.

Global Mothers Paula and Deborah also threw two very successful parties. Guests learned more about Nepal and fair trade principles as they gathered to shop and share together. At these parties the highlight was the launch of our new cotton shopping bag- Proceeds from the new "I want to be a Global Daughter" bag go to our new Sewing Machine Project.

We are looking forward to our next party on Sunday as well as the parties coming up in September. We are booking up fast, so if you are interested in hosting a party in September in the Seattle area, you can contact Erika at erika@globaldaughter.com

Devi modeling the Beautiful Cleo Malla Necklace handmade by Urmilla and Roma


Let the Shopping Begin!


Get Informed


Signing the Guestbook and Checking out the GD Albums


Why fair trade?


Jewelry, Jewelry, Jewelry!


Paula's Home was Perfect!


The New GD Bags are Here. Let's Support the Sewing Project!