FAQs – This is Eden

A social enterprise is an organisation that uses commercial strategies to maximize improvements in human and environmental wellbeing. Eden is a social enterprise without shareholders or investors. 100% of the profits from our jewelry is used to empower rescued women through stable employment, trauma informed care, PTSD counseling, educational classes, vocational skills training. Please reach out to Customer Service at office@thisiseden.org if you want to learn more about the impact your purchase makes!

There are an estimated 40.3 million slaves around the world. Sexual exploitation and forced marriage account for 19.5 million of those victims… and 99% are female. Unfortunately, this $99 billion industry is growing.

Every woman who comes to Eden is a survivor of trafficking or sexual exploitation. This means she was coerced, forced, or deceived into prostitution or marriage. She was exploited because someone took advantage of her vulnerability. In the red light districts, she lived under the close watch and control of her pimp and boss. She lived in shame and hopelessness – believing that hope and freedom were out of her reach.

Eden works to prevent sexual exploitation by offering prevention programs in at-risk communities. Our Outreach team identifies trafficking victims in red light districts and through referrals. We then offer these survivors a safe place to live, counseling, health care support and access, vocational training, economic empowerment, and ongoing relationships. All statistics from the International Labor Organization, 2017

Sales of Eden jewelry support our holistic program to reach, rescue, and restore trafficking victims. It begins with intensive trauma-based counseling for PTSD and other effects of their exploitation. For some, this takes months, but for others, it can take years. While in counseling, our beneficiaries also take part in job skills training and other educational resources.

On average, one woman at Eden supports 4.2 family members. Making jewelry provides the young women in our program with a full-time wage from day one. However, they only work part-time – the rest of their time is spent in therapies or trainings. Without a way to support themselves and their family, most women would be forced to leave the program and find work.

Making jewelry also has therapeutic benefits. It is calming, restorative, and surrounds our women with beauty after so much darkness. With each design inspired by the true story of a rescued woman and handmade by survivors, each piece carries their story into the world. Seeing their stories changing lives is immensely empowering for each of these young women.

When Eden’s founder, Lisa Samuelson, was living in Asia, she began meeting women from all over the continent who had been trafficked into forced marriages. After doing research, spending time in red light districts, and praying together, she slowly began to form relationships with those in the commercial sex industry. Lisa heard the heartbreaking stories of exploited women and was moved to action by their suffering.

Motivated by the Christian faith, Eden’s vision is to reach everyone involved in the red light community. We work for a day when women are set free and these areas are transformed. Since its beginning in 2003, Eden has grown to six sites across Asia, developed an international jewelry social enterprise, and witnessed thousands of people involved in commercial sexual exploitation be impacted.

Our Outreach teams across Asia have shared a message of hope and love with over 5,000 captive girls and young women. We have provided economic empowerment, trauma counseling, or vocational training to over 900 girls and young women. Eden also provides further support to the family members reliant upon these trafficking survivors.

We have educated over 3,400 people on trafficking issues and trafficking prevention methods in Myanmar alone.

With more 50 million victims of modern slavery around the world, we are committed to calling the nations to speak up until all are free. Eden has been working with trafficked girls and women in Asia since 2003. In that time, programs have been implemented in six major cities and over 900 women have been rescued. Eden has a thorough and innovative victim support program that is holistic in its approach. It has proven to be highly effective in the restoration of victims.

In recent years, Eden has been seeing a rising number of women who have been trafficked across borders and into forced marriages. There are now over 15 million victims of forced marriage around the world. This means that young girls and women are forced to marry men they have never met before – often based on lies, deception, and false promises. They typically find themselves trafficked into socio-economic circumstances equal to, or worse than, the rural villages they are from. These marriages are often characterized by violence, abuse, and sometimes rape from the husband and the husband’s family members. The long journey for women to return to their home country or to a safe environment is fraught with challenges because often they lack legal identification. They must also surmount language barriers, racial discrimination, and a lack of support of friends and family in order to escape their situation.

We couldn’t do this work without the significant time and resources our volunteers so selflessly give to our organization.

The easiest way to get involved is to sign up for Eden updates. You’ll be the first to hear about all the good things we're up to… plus you’ll get a special discount on your next purchase. Then, simply share the good news you get in your inbox with your friends!

Another way you can get involved is by becoming an Eden Ambassador. Ambassadors are our biggest supporters. They do everything from supporting us on social media to getting Eden stocked in their favorite stores around town. Here are four ways to be an Ambassador for Eden:

Connect with us

Join the Eden community on social media for inspiring stories, jewelry styling ideas, latest releases, and more.

#edenjewelry (social buttons like on this page: https://thankyou.co/#get-involved)

Share Eden on social media

Post a pic of you wearing your favorite pieces – be sure to tag us! Don’t own Eden jewelry yet? Simply share your favorite story of hope from our website, give us a shoutout to your friends, or write a post about Eden on your blog. Every little bit helps!

Tell your favorite store about us

We’re always looking for more Eden stockists. Please tell your favorite shop about Eden and drop us a line with store contact info and we’ll get in touch!

Interning with Eden provides hands-on experience and a behind-the-scenes look at nonprofit and social enterprise work. Internships are intensive, rewarding, and crucial to Eden’s work. A minimum 6-month commitment is required for general internships. Eden provides interns with a small stipend for opportunities in our Australia and Asian offices depending on current needs. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.

In addition, Eden is always looking for full or part time volunteers who are interested in using their industry knowledge to bring about real world change. A minimum commitment of one year is required for these opportunities.

Please contact us here to learn more about our current internship and volunteer needs.

Thank you so much for wanting to include Eden in your shop! Please apply to become a stockist here.

Once approved, you will receive information on how to access our online store for business partners. Once logged in, you can easily order Eden jewelry at wholesale prices, access sales training materials, and download marketing collateral.

All of our products have been tested. Our 925 sterling silver jewelry and stainless steel jewelry do not contain nickel. Some of the 18K plated items show trace amounts of nickel. However, our tests have shown that there is no nickel on the outside layer of the jewelry plating (the part that touches the skin) while the plating remains intact. Please reach out to Customer Service at office@thisiseden.org if you have any questions about nickel in particular jewelry designs.

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