Holiday Gifting Guide part 1 @HeartofHaiti #Trade-Not-Aid @Macys

When it comes to holiday shopping, my family can be difficult to find things for (to put it mildly).  This year, I'm looking at gifts for the adults that mean more than just a "normal" gift.  Gifts that give back are the primary items on my list.  When thinking of those gifts, you can go for National Wildlife Federation or other charity, or you can do something like Macy's Heart of Haiti/Rwanda Path to Peace.

In 1994, Rwanda was torn apart by a brutal and swift genocide—in roughly 100 days, close to one million Rwandan citizens were murdered. In the aftermath, the population of this small African nation was nearly 70% women. Faced with an uncertain future, these women turned to their past and reclaimed their unique heritage of weaving. Drawing strength from this common history and ancient art form, brave women from both sides of the conflict organized groups of weavers, in an effort to rebuild their communities and their lives... together. This July marked the 20 year anniversary of the genocide.

Macy’s went to Rwanda in 1995, in an effort to help support the struggling economy. This year also marks the 10 year anniversary of the Macy's Rwanda Path to Peace collection. Today, the Path to Peace project is larger than ever, employing over 2,500 weavers and impacting tens of thousands of lives. Focused on trade, not aid, the Rwanda Path to Peace project puts the power of opportunity into the hands of the women of Rwanda, providing not only sustainable income but the chance to take an active role in the shaping of their future.

I was given a bread basket from this program.  It is handwoven and made of sweetgrass and raffia and is absolutely lovely.  There are quite a few gifts that give hope, all part of a fair trade collection.  Macy's has programs that support Heart of Haiti, which helps the Haitians that are still rebuilding from their major earth quake a few years ago, FEED which helps to feed children around the world, and RWANDA Path to Peace.  It's an awesome thing that you can give a gift to family and still give back at the same time.

You can find out more about Rwanda Path to Peace and its items by following Heart of Haiti's social channels at @HeartofHaiti on Twitter and www.facebook.com/heartofhaiti on Facebook.  You can check out the products that Macy's carries here:  Gifts that Give Hope

 Have you considered purchasing a gift that gives back for your list?

“I am a  member of the Everywhere Society and they provided me with this product for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.”