Photographed by Nitin Gera © GoodWeave
changing the world through beautiful art and design
ruthie L. designs gives back
HEARTS OF HOPE
I started making these little Hearts of Hope during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 when I had more time on my hands. Initially I gifted them to our frontline workers who worked tirelessly to provide the services needed during the pandemic. As the initiative and the demand for them grew, it became too expensive for me to keep sending them out via post or courier and people were asking to purchase them so they could also spread some love and kindness themselves. I wanted to keep donating and gifting them so this was a great way to do it.
As things improve for our frontline workers, there are still so many people who are doing it tough and need some hope and love so I have decided to continue making them.
I have gifted more than 9000 Hearts of Hope to hospital departments, doctors, paramedics, nurses, teachers, aged care facilities (both residents and staff), supermarket workers, cleaners, janitors, people living on the streets and so many who are just struggling with life right now. It has been one of the most rewarding and humbling experiences of my life and the stories I have heard have been both heart-warming and heart-breaking.
Giving a Heart of Hope is such a small gesture of kindness but it's a gesture that seems to go such a long way to provide healing and hope to people in the community. It's been interesting how many people have said just having this beautiful tactile little artwork they can wear on their uniform or around their neck or keep in their pocket serves as a constant reminder that somebody has thought of them and cared enough to make a difference.
I'm thrilled that the love and hope is spreading and so many people are choosing to give Hearts of Hope away themselves. Charities are purchasing them to use as fundraisers. Nurses are purchasing them to give to their own departments.One lovely lady bought 50 and told me she planned to give them away at a shopping centre to people who looked like they needed it! Another asked for 40 pink and white hearts to be donated to the nurses in their ward in support of a colleague recently diagnosed with breast cancer. There is a lot of kindness in the world and it's time to spread it. It's a truly beautiful thing to know I've made a difference in some people's lives and so the more people buy them and give them away the more I can do the same.
It's a small gesture of hope and healing to remind people that they are cared about. Everybody needs one! To purchase your Heart of Hope please CLICK HERE
GOODWEAVE
ruthie L. designs is a proud and dedicated associate of GoodWeave. This ensures that our rugs are made by adult artisans and not by children. It is GoodWeave's aim to end child labour and offer educational opportunities to children in carpet weaving communities in and around the world. GoodWeave fulfills its mission by creating market demand for certified child labour free rugs, monitoring supply chains, rescuing and educating child labourers and providing critical and necessary services for weaving families.
By purchasing a ruthie L. designs rug you are making a contribution to improving the life of an underprivileged and deprived child.
To gain a better understanding of the work GoodWeave does, you can watch this short story told by Sanju who was sent to weave carpets when she was only eleven years old. She was rescued from the looms by GoodWeave and was the first member of her family who went on to receive an education.
Measurable benefits for children and entire communities
6,936
children directly freed from exploitation
3,936
23,996
children enrolled in schools
23,996
59,152
workers covered under the GoodWeave system
59,152
Look for the GoodWeave label at the back of our rugs.
For more information visit www.goodweave.org
WEAVING DREAMS NEPAL
Weaving Dreams in Nepal is a not for profit organisation supporting and investing in women, children and communities in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal.
Weaving Dreams aims to address the root causes of child labour not only by providing educational opportunities to at risk children but by also promoting other fundamental human rights in the work place thereby creating a positive impact on the weaver’s working conditions and the carpet industry as a whole.
ruthie L. designs is proud to have been able to provide the beautiful and talented women in our weaving community with menstrual cups. Educating and teaching the women both the personal and environmental benefits of the cups and how to use them is a work in progress and a true labour of love on the part of Tshering and her team at Weaving Dreams.
By purchasing a ruthie L. designs rug or scarf you are making a contribution to improving the life of the women and children in our own weaving community.
