I was recenlty reading about The Andean Collection on Eco Fashion World and found the following statistics heartbreaking…

According to studies by The World Bank discussed on Global Issues:

• Almost half the world (over 3 billion people) lives on less than $2.50 a day.
• At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.
• The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the world’s 7 richest people combined.
• 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world). 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day).
• Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.
• Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
• Based on enrollment data, about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 per cent of them were girls. And these are regarded as optimistic numbers.

It really makes you appreciate what you have when you think about people that have so very little and have virtually no opportunities to make their life any better.

Acai Wrap Bracelet $21

I continued reading after those statistics and learned about The Andean Collection – a very cool company that makes some gorgeous jewelry!  They use natural materials (like acai seeds and huayruro seeds – very creative!) and embrace fair trade principles with their employees in Ecuador.  They even pay for the education of their employees children and if their adult employees want to go school they cover that as well!  It is small companies like The Andean Collection who will help to change those awful statistics above!  I’ll be keeping them on my shopping list at Christmas for sure!