AWARD YEAR
2021
CATEGORY
Work
GOALS
Decent Work & Economic Growth, Reduced Inequality, Responsible Consumption & Production, Refugees and Migrants
KEYWORDS
refugees, Immigrants, women in the workforce , worker empowerment , responsible production
COUNTRY
United Kingdom
DESIGNED BY
Love Welcomes
WEBSITE
https://www.lovewelcomes.org/our-story/
Love Welcomes
Refugee women stitching doormats from life vests and blankets
Love Welcomes is a creative social enterprise. We reclaim the life vests and blankets worn by frightened, exhausted refugees as they wash up on European shores. Our team of refugee women then transform them into beautiful, handmade welcome mats (and more) that we sell all over the world. We think big and change one life at a time.
When you watch the news nowadays, it’s easy to feel helpless. But we passionately believe that love is the greatest force for change in the world, and we’ve never been in more need of it than we are right now.
Proceeds from each sale go directly to the women who wove it; women like Thaura. All profits are used to support refugees including language lessons, computer training, and transportation to things like lawyer meetings or going to the market to buy food. Our aim is to empower refugees to support themselves and their families through employable skills, providing them with dignity and the ability to positively contribute to society.