Introduction to Liluye: A Sustainable Approach

Hello Fellow Warriors, Trailblazers, and Inspiring Women,

As many of you know, I’ve been working diligently for the last couple of years on creating an organization that passionately combines sustainable fashion with compassion. I would really love to be considered and included in the next round of the Featured Changemakers program to get some sorely needed additional support to accelerate the development and roll out of my organization.

What project are you leading right now and how does it use or improve technology?

The name of my organization is Liluye, or “Singing Hawk While Soaring.” The mission of Liluye is to create innovative, sustainable, ethnic, exceptional, handmade products that will help trafficked survivors to be empowered and to reintegrate back into society by teaching them a viable trade and by providing them with income. Our products are proudly created by and for people with Great Spirit.

Use of, and expanding the use of technology, is key to this program. I will be selling all handmade, sustainable products via my online, social enterprise: https://liluye.org/. All products will be produced by sustainable textile innovations that are changing the fashion industry, such as Hemp, Stinging Nettle Fibers, Coffee Ground Fibers, Pineapple fabric, Banana fibers and Lotus fibers.

I will also be creating additional, remote technical jobs in the foreseeable future for customer service(s), social media marketer, web developer/programmer (shop portion), pre-production fashion expert(s), product photographer(s), and volunteers/internships.

How many people will be impacted by your work?

The projection for this question is difficult to answer as I intend to create safe haven/workshops globally, wherever there is a need. Initially, for the workshop in Nepal, we are planning on at least five women to test the system and create the first “model” there since Sunita (World Pulse member and Founder of the Sunita Foundation) already has the foundation, the connections, and the amazing warrior artisans reading and willing to learn.

I plan to use yearly, e-commerce sales and the amount of revenue created by the trafficked women artisans for the quantitative measurement, and for the qualitative measurement, it will be how many trafficked women’s lives, in total, have been impacted through training and income.

Since TOMS is the closest, existing operating model I have to demonstrate combining philanthropy, compassion and fashion, Liluye's success would be patterned on TOMS success model, for example, according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index, there were 40.3 million people in modern-day slavery in 2016, including 24.9 million in forced labor and 15.4 million in forced marriage. Therefore, if TOMS has donated more than 95 million pairs of shoes to date in the thirteen years it's been in operation, and has donated to people across 38 states and 82 countries, we could realistically sell this volume of products and more with the cooperation of other NGOs that already have artisanal products (not just shoes), sustainable resources, expand assistance to trafficked women who need a viable trade and income.

What do you need to reach your goal?

The networking and visibility opportunity would be invaluable developing and launching the Liluye marketplace. I have built up quite a network of individuals in the anti-trafficking segment, however, I still have a long way to go, to identify key players, mentors and a strong Board of Directors, to ensure the successful launching and maintaining Liluye. I also am looking for assistance registering my organization in either the U.S. or Spain in order to apply for future grants. I would welcome mentors to offer me and our staff great advice, tools and techniques for growing and scaling up our idea so that it can become global, to create more safe havens to help as many women as possible earn a viable trade, get income and reintegrate back into society.

Liluye will simultaneously be sourcing the following digital tools and technology to make it work during the Changemaker program:

1. Creating an e-commerce website that is engaging, highly functional, and reliable that will be informative as well as enticing to people passionate about anti-trafficking as well as fashionistas alike. The website will educate users on trafficking, prevention, international hotlines, ways to get involved, our work, and sustainability.

2. Developing a social media graphic development system, marketing system, schedule, graphic creation for Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn platforms.

3. Obtaining the best shoe making/finishing machines and sewing machines for the workshop.

4. Developing a banana leaf fabric system, complete with machines, looms, eco-friendly dyes, patterns, glues, finishing machines.

5. Purchasing a pattern making machine.

6. Buying banana leaf insole and outsole production machines.

7. Getting a security system for the workshop.

8. Finding a screen printer for the insoles, sustainable shoe bags, and shoe protector forms. 9. Sourcing shoe and/or artisan trainers for the workshop.

What successes have you had?

I just completed a six-week accelerator with Common VC this week that focuses on developing circular solutions for the planet, and I’m even more motivated to make Liluye work so that I can help as many trafficked women as possible, to bring more awareness and prevention around trafficking and to create sustainable economic and environmental solutions to the planet. In addition, I launched my website, FB and Linked In pages this week.

https://liluye.org/

https://www.facebook.com/LiluyeSpirit/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/liluye/

My vision:

Collaboration with as many World Pulse trailblazers and warriors as possible, to help them on their mission, to create training, jobs and income for the women who have been trafficked. I’ve already been in conversations with several, World Pulse women who have been trafficked and/or have NGOs that help trafficked women. I plan to collaborate with the following World Pulse members in the future:     

1.    Awah Francisca Mbuli (Cameroon) - https://www.worldpulse.com/user/30831/bio     

2.    Fanwi Seraphine Kakwi (Cameroon) - https://www.worldpulse.com/community/users/seraphine     

3.    Vweta Chadwick (UK/Nigeria) - https://www.worldpulse.com/community/users/vweta     

4.    Mojisola Adewumi (Nigeria) - https://www.worldpulse.com/user/45412/bio     

5.    Sunita Danuwar (Nepal) - can’t find her profile     

6.    Hellen Tanyinga (Uganda) - https://www.worldpulse.com/community/users/rapehurtsuganda     

7.    Josephine Apio (Uganda) - https://www.worldpulse.com/user/42007/bio     

8.    Rebecca Harris (Uganda) - https://www.worldpulse.com/user/55833/bio     

9.    Ni Aye (Burma) - https://www.worldpulse.com/user/6560/bio

I’m open to collaborating with any/all World Pulse members who share the same vision and values with me. They are as follows:   

▪    Empowered warriors with a shared vision of peace and empowerment     

▪    Always be honestly, authentically you     

▪    Practice infinite kindness and compassion     

▪    Choose love - make a difference     

▪    Inspire through diversity and creativity     

▪    Live each day courageously     

▪    Embrace open collaboration

I believe collectively we can help create a better, safer and more sustainable world for everyone and empower girls and women at the same time. Please let me know if you share the same values and vision as me, and if you would like to join us in helping to create safe havens for girls and women worldwide, and bringing even more awareness and preventive measures to help end trafficking and modern slavery now!

Thanks for this opportunity and consideration.