Corazón de Volcán is based in Guatemala, creating designer handicrafts combining tradition and innovation which reflects the cultural diversity of the country’s inhabitants. Designer Lucía Morán is associated with talented weavers and embroiderers who work from home. In Corazon de Volcan, they recycle traditional fabrics combined with embroidery. They bring back to life those used objects, carefully choosing each piece of fabric so that it retains its meaning and becomes part of a new piece. They also use natural dyes instead of harmful chemicals. The basic concept is to bring together the skills and ancestral knowledge of Guatemalan weavers with new and fresh designs. The women work from home and this practice allows them to perform their daily activities like raising children, keeping a home and work accordingly to their own schedule. The women are able to improve the quality of life through their work. Global Girlfriend was founded by Stacey Edgar in 2003 to help women gain economic security while providing unique products and a simple way to help women in need. They offer a line of trend-setting, women-made, fair trade products including stylish apparel, accessories and gifts with one purpose : helping women in need to help themselves. Global Girlfriend believes passionately that economic opportunity for women holds the promise for real change in the world; because when women have an income, they reinvest in themselves and in their children’s health, education and nutrition, building stronger families and communities over time. Many women try desperately to make a living selling their artisan-quality goods but find that they have little access to market opportunities. Global Girlfriend believes in forming long-term partnerships that provide women a fair living wage with equal employment opportunities, healthy and safe working conditions, technical assistance and development strategies to foster prosperity and reduce poverty. In addition, every purchase helps support girls' education through GROW (Girls' Right to Opportunity Worldwide). Every dollar raised will provide a girl with one day of education at the primary or secondary level by providing uniforms, books, tuition, room and board, safe travel to school, and any number of other typical barriers to a girl’s education. For more information www.girleffect.org