The World Challenge
Nomination 2006

It was initiated to help reduce poverty, the number of malnourished children, and street children and to prevent child trafficking. It aims to give more sewing machines, interest free loans and fair trade earnings to more women by training them to collect and sew recycled discarded drink pouches into fashionable bags. It aims to educate them and the community on children’s rights and how to clean and protect the environment by giving value and using recycled waste products.

Achievements are seen by measuring growth. Beginning in September 2004 until April 2006, the number of collectors working part-time was 161 and at present there are 41 collecting full time. The number of sewers at present is 61. The number of schools collecting is 36. The project has given Environmental protection and CHILD RIGHTS seminars to 1,610 students, and 83 teachers, 30 sewers and 86 collectors. Measuring Sales: There are 15 importers in 9 countries who have bought 46,668 bags. The combined sales are worth US$108,738.68. New orders continue to pour in.

It gives employment and Fair Trade earnings and education in human rights and enhances the dignity of the participants and protects their children. It trains community members to be defenders of children, and to report child abuse or neglect in their communities. It empowers women by giving them access to credit and jobs. It creates awareness of environmental fragility and motivates and organises clean up activities in the communities. It gives value to waste material like aluminum foil bags that can be recycled. It creates greater global awareness through the campaign for children's rights in cooperation with the fair trade organizations, world shops and media.

No environmental resources are exploited. the raw materials used in production are recycled waste materials that are the worst environmental hazard around. The benefits to the people and the environment are huge as the project grows and spreads through word of mouth, seminars, media and the internet. see www.preda.net, www.preda.org

Because it is part of an integrated human development and fair trade project that gives sustainable home and community based employment to women sewers and trash collectors. It dramatically improves the status of women in the male dominated community, empowering them with good earnings, interest free loans strong markets, skilled training in using recycled material and awareness of their rights and dignity.

Because it educates motivates and mobilises the illiterate and poorest people to work and prosper as collectors and cleaners of throwaway drink pouches. It is an alternative to begging and protects their children from being trafficked.

Because it continues to grow and benefit many more women and it has a strong impact on cleaning and protecting the environment by recycling the throwaway drink pouches into profitable bags. It promotes producers participation and they grow in dignity through human rights training that teaches them how to protect children from exploitation and abuse.

Because it is based on Fair Trade criteria, the earnings from sales benefit the producers and their neighbours. The Fair Trade shops share information with customers on Trade Justice and motivate them to work for a fairer world. Filipino students benefit too. They receive environmental sensitivity training and become school based pouch collectors and earn for their school project or their own needs. It’s a brilliant idea and it works and is growing.