ETHICALLY sourced, handmade designs.
MORE THAN thread
Each handmade piece from our collection tells a story; a story of traditions passed down for generations and skilled handicraft preserved from family to family. Each thread represents economic stability for a family in Northern Thailand. Learn more >
ABOUT US
Five Tribes Fair Trade was co-founded by Amy Stroup and Lorena Bowers and is in partnership with the Joy to the World Foundation Thailand.
Our mission is to provide economic empowerment for women in the tribal villages of Thailand, many of whom are susceptible to sex trafficking and who live on $2 a day. We train, equip and encourage women to use their skills in weaving and hand stitched artistry so that they can engage in social enterprises that bring hope and prosperity to their village.
We offer unique designs for your home that are inspired by Hill Tribe culture and tradition. Each piece has been handcrafted and designed by our partners in Thailand. Our commitment to fair trade allows families to break the cycle of poverty and go from surviving to thriving .
Through your purchase, we are creating new pathways that will give vulnerable people groups the economic stability that they need to avoid the underground economy of sex and drug trafficking. You can be confident that every purchase you make is working to fight against systematic poverty and build a new future.
fair trade
noun: fair trade
Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers – especially in the South.
Fair Trade organisations have a clear commitment to Fair Trade as the principal core of their mission. They, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade."
-- World Fair Trade Organization
MEET THE FOUNDERS OF FIVE TRIBES FAIR TRADE
MEET THE CO-FOUNDERS
AMY STROUP
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LORENA BOWERS
A NOTE FROM AMY
Joy to the World Foundation Thailand was born out of my sister's tragic death in 1998. In 2003, we opened a home for hill tribe girls in my sister's honor and called it Breanna's House of Joy. Since then, I have never lost my passion for these people. In early 2018, I began working as a child sponsorship coordinator for Breanna's House of Joy. Through this process, Five Tribes Fair Trade was born.
As I was pouring through the biographies and family histories of the girls at Breanna’s House of Joy, I couldn't stop thinking about their desperation. As a mother of three, my heart ached to see these mothers so desperate and out of control. Many of them were at rock bottom; so low that they were willing to sacrifice their daughters to the sex industry in order to survive. I don't know what it's like to be that desperate, but I know it must be utterly hopeless to cause that kind of action.
I knew that these mothers were capable of more.
I knew that they could use their skills and talents to bring hope and prosperity to their families, so I began talking with my dear friend Lorena Bowers about marketing their products here in the US. She had been growing a successful business selling her handwoven tapestries and I knew her talents and skills would be invaluable to this project.
Five Tribes Fair Trade is so much more than a business. It is a movement to empower people groups that have been discriminated against for far too long.
Through your partnership, we are creating new pathways that will give vulnerable people groups the economic stability that they need to avoid the underground economy of sex and drug trafficking. You can be confident that every purchase you make is working to fight against systemic poverty and build a new future for these beautiful people!