In light of Giving Tuesday and our commitment to Pledge 1%, we felt it was the perfect time to discuss the concept of Conscious Commerce.
First, the word Conscious has many meanings. If we distill it to the simplest form it might help to consider the opposite - Unconscious. So, when we spend unconsciously does that mean we spend without consideration or care? Possibly, or maybe it is a simple reflection of the options you have in front of you, or the money you have available. .
If you have the luxury of product options and finances to afford them, you might be looking for packaging claims like social and environmental responsibility, and the third party certifications that go along with them. Today, there are many brands that are building their business consciously, or with care and consideration for causes that are aligned with their values. While some companies do this for marketing reasons, or to sound good to you, it's not difficult to peel back the veil.
Purpose-driven companies like Sarilla, are rooted in making a difference, and were built upon the ethos of helping to make the world better in some way. For us, we exist to inspire to joy, to encourage everyone to look for a reason to celebrate, to move past the pain and fear, even if just for a moment. We all have experienced tragedy, some more than others. We have learned from our partners in Rwanda what it means to to seek out joy in the midst of hardship; to help a neighbor even when we have very little; to smile at a stranger even when our child is sick. We are inspired for these reasons and we have tried to capture the resilience and the joy in Sarilla.
Before we showed up in a can in your local cooler set, we were building culturally-appropriate, locally-led models in Rwanda, to provide support for trauma healing and to build personal inner resiliency. We started to connect entrepreneurs with mentors and business skills, igniting the fire to create, to grow, to move past the history of trauma. Today we continue to build deep relationships with women in Rwanda, and are helping to grow Ubuzima Healing Garden Farm, a small plot of land which we are told brings a moment of calm to everyone who passes by and smells the fragrant tulsi, lemongrass and rosemary.
For Giving Tuesday this year, we will contribute half of all online sales toward the Ubuzima Healing Garden development fund, as well as toward the U.S. based nonprofit, Safe Bar Network. Beyond Tuesday, we contribute 1% of sales, 1% of product, and 1% of time toward causes aligned with our mission to end gender-based violence and to support entrepreneurs who have survived trauma to access what they need to live the life of their dreams. Learn more at our partner nonprofit 501c3 foundation, Africa Healing Exchange. Please consider donating to AHE any day, and thank you for choosing Sarilla!