‘Cherie Amie’ Fair Trade Lingerie Company To Fight Poverty In Africa

One Texas woman wants you to be able to fight poverty before you even put any clothes on.

When Tara Smith came home from volunteering with the Peace Corps, she hoped to continue empowering the women she had been working with in Cameroon, West Africa. So, the 26-year-old went on to co-found Cherie Amie, a fair trade lingerie company whose profits will be used to bring microloans to women in the region.

“Why can’t women look sexy to help other women?” she asks in a press release.

To help get her do-gooder project off of the ground, Smith has set up an indiegogo campaign to raise $15,000 by Aug. 31.

If the project proves to be successful, ladies will be able give both their partners and African women something to get excited about.

Since it is a Good Returns company, 100 percent of profits will go toward giving charitable organizations the chance to grant interest-free microloans to African women. Some money will also benefit Smith’s other benevolent venture, Peace Tree Africa, a nonprofit that supports sustainable development projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

But Smith is just one of a number entrepreneurs using a fair-trade model to change the lives of struggling women.

After leaving the corporate world behind, Ed Edmundson founded Earth Divas, a business that imports handmade goods made mostly by women living in Nepal, Potomac Patch reports.

Edmundson carries bags, hats and wallets, returns 100 percent of profits to the craftswomen and doesn’t take a salary, according to the news outlet. He’s that determined to adequately compensate his craftswomen.

“Once I started doing this, it was like this is not going to be anything that’s ever going to make me rich, and I can’t take money,” he told Potomac Patch. “I don’t want to be 65-70 years old…and look back a say that I didn’t do anything worth while in my life.”

As for Smith, who has raised $2,825 so far, she sees her business endeavor as a way to pay it forward.

“The women I met in Cameroon changed my life forever,” she said in a press release. “I want to change theirs with decent wages and the market access their lingerie products deserve.”

Feeling inspired? Find out how you can donate to the Cherie Amie campaign here.

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Bury St Edmunds: Lingerie store reopens seven weeks after Cupola House blaze

Teresa Martin (right) and Michelle Martin are pictured at Bella Lingerie in Bury which is finally set to re-open after the fire at Cupola House in the town which left their shop smoke logged.

By Matt Gaw
Friday, August 3, 2012
6:38 PM

A SHOP affected by the devastating Cupola House fire will reopen today, as discussions continue into the future of the historic building.

Teresa Martin, and her daughter Michelle, will open the doors of newly refitted and restocked Bella Lingerie in the Traverse, Bury St Edmunds, seven weeks after the fire in the burning home of Strada restaurant took hold.

Ms Martin said that walls were left blackened and nearly £10,000 of lingerie was lost as clouds of smoke poured through their shop’s sash windows.

Speaking about some of the most “stressful” weeks in her life, she added: “We were notified on the Saturday night and on Sunday when we came into Bury and saw all the people we knew it was serious.

“But on Monday it really hit us. The firemen took us in and when we saw inside we were very upset.” The pair, who have run the shop for almost three years, spent the last two months working to redecorate, refit and order more stock.

Ms Martin said that although some bridalwear was yet to be replaced, most items will be available in the newly-opened store.

“It feels like a new start, the shop looks lovely and is ready to go. We have missed seeing all our regular customers and the Traverse is such a lovely place to be.”

She added: “When something like this happens, you find out how strong and good people are. One of the things that has come out of this is the strengthening of relationships with other independent stores.

“Bury Bridal Rooms straight away contacted us after the fire, and all our stock was delivered there. They were absolutely brilliant; we couldn’t have done this without them.”

Ms Martin also thanked Traverse-based Paul Stephens and NFU Insurance.

Sahara and Jessops remain closed while work on Grade 1 Listed Cupola House continues.

A spokeswoman for St Edmundsbury Borough Council said discussions between the project team and the building’s owners are due to take place early this month.

She added it is not yet known if the building will be restored as it was or with a more modern interpretation.

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