Dignity is not something anyone can give you or take away from you.
You already have it as a human.
Only you can forfeit it.
How have others tried to steal your dignity from you? How have you fought back by honoring yourself? What are some ways that you can honor yourself and celebrate your dignity today?
]]>You can empower someone by complimenting them, by helping them identify and use their giftings, by giving them the space they need to create, ponder, or reflect. Empowerment is about giving people power, authority, and control over their own lives, giving them the tools and confidence they need to take on that responsibility and setting them up for success in their chosen endeavors.
What is important is that you cannot put power into someone if you have no power yourself to give. You must feel empowered yourself before empowering others.
Do you feel empowered? How can you take steps to get empowered? Who can you empower today? How will you go about empowering them?
This meditation is part of "Diffusing Dignity: a Collection of Meditations" – written by the Savhera team to help you incorporate mindfulness into your holistic wellness routine.
]]>We make thousands of choices every day. And many of those choices are about where and how to buy our everyday essentials such as food, clothing, household items, wellness products, and more.
As consumers, our dollar votes are always voting for something. It’s a powerful privilege to be able to choose what values we promote and who we empower through our shopping choices.
But while good intentions are a start, effectively taking a stand for social justice through our dollar votes isn’t always so simple.
Driving positive social change as a consumer starts with doing your research.
As you research your favorite brands or look for brands that better align with your values, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Remember that while these choices might seem small, when you choose companies that are taking action to promote social justice, you’re part of the collective movement to make a big impact for good.
]]>Courage meets fear head-on, recognizes its reality, assesses its attributes, then responds to its crippling effects through proactive words and actions that presses fear away just as light pushes away darkness. It is a lamp that says, “I am here because it is dark, but where I am, darkness is no more.”
Fear, after all, is distinct and separate from the things that make one afraid.
The experience of fear is allowing a possible (but hence, not present) harm to create psychological harm now. It is like paying interest on a debt you may not owe. Being afraid is allowing something that may never happen tomorrow to control your thoughts and feelings today. And it is courage that prevents that present paralysis of mind and heart. Indeed, courage is all about the freedom of one’s heart.
The English word “courage” is derived from the Latin term for heart, and it helps explain why we feel courageous when our heart is full--when joy, vision, unity, and fun are present--and why fear takes root so quickly when our heart is wounded and empty. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the presence of hope.
What is making you anxious or fearful? Why? What is your heart lacking that is allowing fear to take root? How can you show courage today?
This meditation is part of "Diffusing Dignity: a Collection of Meditations" – written by the Savhera team to help you incorporate mindfulness into your holistic wellness routine.
]]>Savhera was founded to give dignified employment to women who have survived human trafficking. The revenue from every order we receive goes right into paying our survivor employees’ salaries and making sure they have the restoration services they need.
Our name – which was ideated by one of our first survivor employees – means “new beginnings” in Hindi. Our logo represents the lotus flower and its ability to grow in unlikely circumstances. Is it any surprise that the bottles we chose to package our essential oils in also have profound significance? Of course, sustainability goals and quality commitments made glass bottles a no-brainer. But while many aromatherapy companies use amber glass bottles, we chose blue glass for our essential oil bottles. Why? Because the color blue represents water and cleansing. With dignified employment at Savhera, trafficking survivors can find healing in all aspects of life. Physical, emotional, economic, and spiritual healing are all incorporated into our team’s culture and practices. The goal is that no matter what others have done to them, the resilient women on our team can be empowered to flourish! Because that’s their birthright as human beings. Blue represents the washing away of social barriers, financial hurdles and debt, educational and professional roadblocks; and the healing of physical and mental health conditions caused by abuse and manipulation.
Our white bottle caps represent a tabula rasa – a blank slate. Trafficking survivors have experienced severe abuse, trauma, pain, inequality, and dehumanization. But as these courageous women find freedom and healing, they have a world of possibilities ahead of them. They can pursue educational opportunities they were previously denied. They can experience physical and mental wellness instead of living in constant fear and abuse. They can work in dignified professional roles and receive fair salaries and benefits. They can take PTO for vacation, maternity leave, and sick days. They can live independently in safe, clean, beautiful homes instead of dirty, dangerous brothels. They can travel and navigate their cities with confidence. They can open bank accounts and start saving money instead of having their earnings stolen from them. They can cultivate hobbies and skills. They can pursue their dreams. They can become empowered members of their communities. They can help other survivors. Really, the sky's the limit.
Every time you use Savhera products, you’re part of powerful changes taking place. That’s a lot of dignity and wellness in each small bottle! Thank you for being part of so many incredible new beginnings.
How are Essential Oils Connected to Indian Culture?
India is one of the oldest civilizations on the planet. The ancient medical healing system called Ayurveda is thought to be around 5,000 years old, making it one of the oldest medical systems in the world. Ayurveda is still practiced today, and like ancient times, continues to use aromatic botanicals for healing. Ayurveda incorporates essential oils into healing treatments. Ayurveda means “life knowledge,” and is believed to be one of the oldest systems aimed at holistic healing.
Essential oils are also connected to Indian religious practices. Aromatherapy is mentioned several times in ancient Indian texts such as the Hindu text Ramayana and the Buddhist scriptures known as Tripiṭaka. In these texts, aromatherapy is recorded as both a physical healing practice and as a way to spiritually cleanse the soul.
How will you use the ancient practice of aromatherapy today?
]]>"Our products empower human trafficking survivors." If you're familiar with Savhera, you've probably heard us say that quite a bit. But a lot of business talk about social causes. So how do you know if you're really making an impact?
You’ve probably seen of a lot of companies giving a percentage of their profit to a good cause. This can make a difference. However, we decided to take the idea of a business doing good to the next level. As a result, Savhera is not a traditional business model. We are a social enterprise. We are also a public benefit corporation. That means that doing good is our bottom line.
We don't "give back" a percentage of our profit. Profit is the way we accomplish our mission. Profit is not our ultimate goal. In contrast, our ultimate goal is to benefit people and planet. Selling products is how we get there.
Our mission is to give dignified employment to human trafficking survivors. Our sales revenue goes towards providing salaries and benefits to these women.
Dignified employment empowers survivors in many ways. Firstly, it provides a way out of trafficking. Many women feel that escape from trafficking is hopeless. Because even if they could escape, they would have no where to go. They would not be able to get a job. They lack resources. Their traffickers have denied them education, professional training, financial security, and emotional and physical health. As a result, these women often don’t have the luxury to imagine a life beyond trafficking.
Savhera hires people that many employers would not consider. Trafficking survivors face employment barriers due to social stigma, lack of experience and education, and unjust criminal records. At Savhera, trafficking survivors can access the education, mentorship, and quality of life that they deserve. Their salaries are much higher than the living wage. Their benefits include paid time off, maternity leave, health and dental insurance, and trauma counseling. They enjoy paid time to work on their personal growth. They receive education in literacy, finance, health, civics, and more!
All sales empower women who were once exploited. That’s what your purchases do! That’s what you make possible every time you shop at Savhera.
]]>This World Teacher Day, we want to celebrate Tamanna Khan. Tamanna is Savhera’s Vice President and Human Development Manager. She wears many hats, including that of a teacher. Implementing Savhera's PIES model of human flourishing, she teaches literacy classes, mathematics, and health classes to the women on our team who suffered sexual exploitation. Most women who are trafficked in India are denied access to formal education. Tamanna helps restore the dignity that these women deserve. Consequently, these women are equipped for their roles at Savhera and empowered to dream about future careers. Thanks to a teacher!
Tamanna has a Master’s in Social Work and over two decades experience working with marginalized women and girls in India. Before Savhera, she worked with sex trafficking victims for the Delhi Police and one of our partner orgs. Because of Tamanna’s expertise in trauma care, she can effectively mentor and instruct trauma survivors. She is instrumental in guiding Savhera’s efforts to be a trauma-informed workplace. Tamanna is all things wellness. Her favorite essential oil is lemongrass.
This year and last, teachers faced new challenges. They had to support and educate their students during a global pandemic. Their resilience and ability to adapt showed the world just how amazing teachers are.
During the COVID crisis in India, lockdowns repeatedly forced our team to quarantine. Tamanna worked hard to ensure the physical and emotional wellbeing of the entire team, including the 7 team members who are survivors of sex trafficking. Like all teachers during COVID, Tamanna had the difficult tasks of making sure her students stayed well while also preventing gaps in their learning process. Despite the circumstances, these women were able to continue both their formal education and personal healing at home. This was possible thanks to Tamanna's leadership and your continued support.
Teachers like Tamanna really do make the world go round. We couldn’t let World Teacher Day go by without a shout out!
Who are the special teachers in your life? Why not take this opportunity to celebrate them? Let them know how their hard work has paid off. Maybe even go the extra mile and send them a digital gift card to say thanks!
To all the teachers out there, we just want to say thanks for making the world a better place! And to our customers, THANK YOU for supporting the education and empowerment of trafficking survivors.
]]>Sex trafficking is at its core a system of gender-based violence and inequality. According to Exodus Cry, 98% of those bought for prostitution are women. And 99% of the buyers are men. Prostitution – which is often forced upon the victim as a form of trafficking – is “a system where women exist to fulfill the sexual desires of men.”
According to the United States Government, “eighty percent of [trafficking] victims are female; nearly 70% of all victims are trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. These statistics clearly indicate that there is a correlation between trafficking and the status of women, on the one hand, and between trafficking and prostitution, on the other.”
The more that gender inequality is accepted, the more normalized it will be for men to abuse, oppress, and exploit women. And the more women will accept this as an inevitable part of life.
As CSCE remarks, “trafficking in human beings could not flourish but for the existence of local prostitution markets where men are willing and able to buy and sell women and children for sexual exploitation.”
Gender inequality not only fuels the trafficking system but also makes women and girls more vulnerable to becoming trafficked. When women and girls have less access to education, fair wages, dignified employment, voting power, and other basic human rights, they become more vulnerable to trafficking.
CSCE says that human rights violations such as the “unchallenged discrimination in educational systems and the economic marketplace that contributes to women's missed opportunities and economic distress….make women economically vulnerable, more likely to engage in prostitution, more likely to consider migration, and thus more likely to be preyed upon by traffickers.”
In the United States, gender inequality can also look like the sexualization and objectification of women in media, the normalization of rape videos being viewed on porn sites, the tendency to blame rape victims for “asking for it,” and much more. As Gail Dines reports, she once interviewed a rapist who said that abusing his victim was easy because “culture did a lot of the grooming for me.”
If we want to stop human trafficking, we must start with the root problems: gender inequality and gender oppression.
By cultivating a world where men and women are seen and celebrated as equals, we can help prevent crimes of gender inequality and gender violence, including sex trafficking.
Ever wondered why we use the lotus flower in our logo? Or why we incorporate the lotus flower in several of our product designs – such as our two newest diffuser jewelry pieces?
We chose the lotus flower to honor Indian culture. Savhera started in India because of one courageous Indian woman! And we now have a whole team in India – including 7 trafficking survivors. The lotus is the national flower of India, and an important symbol in Indian art, mythology, and culture.
But the significance goes deeper than that. We chose the lotus flower to remind our team and our customers that beauty can come out of even the worst circumstances.
Lotus flowers grow in the most unlikely places. The lotus flower is different from most flowers in that the bud starts to sprout while underwater in the mud. Lotus flowers grow at the bottom of lakes and ponds, surrounded by muck. They bloom despite dirty, difficult conditions. As the lotus flower grows, it rises from the mud and reaches towards the sun. As it rises, it pushes aside the harsh obstacles of the muddy lakebed. With only a few leaves and a tiny bud, it pushes itself towards clearer water and sunlight. It perseveres until it opens in full bloom on the surface of the water. What an achievement! As the petals open one by one, the lotus becomes a stunning symbol of survival and strength.
When the lotus blooms in the sunlight, you’d never know it had to fight to rise out of the darkness. It’s spotless and beautiful, without a trace of mud left.
Like lotus flowers, the sex trafficking survivors who work with Savhera are overcomers. Even despite some of the worst obstacles imaginable, these brave women are blossoming into their full potential. They are showing the world what they’re capable of. From darkness to light, they are beautiful warriors. They have made incredible strides professionally, emotionally, economically, and spiritually. They have achieved the unimaginable! They constantly inspire us to remember that new beginnings are possible.
And so do you! Thank you for supporting Savhera and believing in the potential of these incredible women. Next time you see a lotus flower, remember what the human spirit is capable of.
]]>“THE LOTUS FLOWER BLOOMS MOST BEAUTIFULLY FROM THE DEEPEST MUD.” - BUDDHIST PROVERB
We’re so excited to announce that Savhera has been recognized as a Texas Business Against Trafficking by The Office of the Texas Secretary of State!
This signifies that we’ve implemented policies aimed at preventing and combatting human trafficking and our efforts have contributed to the efforts of federal, state, and local officials engaged in combating human trafficking and prosecuting human trafficking crimes.
Savhera is the 10th business to join this partnership among global leaders such as American Airlines, Sabre Corporation, G6 Hospitality LLC, NEC Corporation, Summit Hotel Properties, Inc., and more! Together we’re working to share training resources, best practices and information to help combat human trafficking!
We encourage other anti-trafficking organizations to join this partnership so that our impact is multiplied! Together our efforts to fight trafficking are stronger!
]]>Savhera’s mission is to give dignified employment to survivors of sex trafficking. Dignified employment helps facilitate physical healing, economic healing, and emotional healing for our production associates who have been trafficked. When you buy wellness products from Savhera, you are providing healing for women who were once exploited.
Here are just some of the ways your Savhera purchases promote healing through dignified employment:
Community Healing:
Thank you for choosing wellness products that generate healing – for yourself and for her!
]]>This World Day Against Trafficking we asked 7 anti-trafficking leaders the same question, "What can I do to combat human trafficking?"
"Vote with your dollars! Purchases and donations to anti-trafficking orgs helps advance justice and supports survivors."
Savhera Wellness - Organic Wellness that provides dignified employment to survivors in The U.S. and India
"Pick your favorite anti-trafficking agency. Setup subscription giving so that the agency has the necessary resources when the next survivor is ready to flee from their trafficker. How much? Start with the amount you pay to stream entertainment. Now in the same way you might subscribe to Netflix, you're subscribing to a safer community for yourself and others!"
Unbound North Texas- Survivor support and resources for the community to fight human trafficking and ignite hope.
"Don't stop learning about the real issues of trafficking! We can't take effective action if we don't understand the complex reality of what victims are facing."
Traffick 911- Rescue youth from sex trafficking in North Texas
"Bring awareness & education when you choose fashion with a purpose. When you make the switch to survivor-made & ethical brands, you decrease the demand of human trafficking from exploitive companies."
Tirza Design- Survivor-made, Fair Trade jewelry
"Share! One of the best ways to multiply freedom is to encourage your circle of influence to follow businesses and organizations that are combatting human trafficking! Spread the word!"
Freedom Society Collective- Lifestyle brand that employs and trains survivors and those at risk of being trafficked
"Commit to walking alongside survivors for the long haul, no matter how long restoration takes."
The Net- Anti-trafficking non-profit fighting for a world where girls are not for sale
"Learn to recognize the signs. Most survivors of human trafficking were not kidnapped. Or duct-taped. Or locked in a room with a dirty mattress. The reality is that a survivor could live right next door or might even be standing right next to you in the grocery store line. They might have children that go to school with your child. They might play high school sports and come home every night for dinner. You might not notice because most of us are caught up in myths that keep us from seeing what is happening right under our noses. We hear sensational stories about someone being kidnapped in a parking lot or held captive in a secured room and we miss how traffickers are actually luring their victims every day in our very own communities. By dispelling myths and spreading awareness, we can work to keep our kids safe and we can help victims get the assistance they need. We must do better, for us and for them. To learn how to protect your loved ones and to spot harmful myths regarding human trafficking, visit rebeccabender.org and download our free Trafficking Truths eCourse."
When you shop at Savhera, you provide dignified employment for trafficking survivors.
Sex trafficking leaves victims with severe forms of trauma. Because we employ trauma survivors, we created a trauma-informed model of human development called “PIES.”
P.I.E.S. stands for “Physical, Intellectual, Economic, Spiritual.” These are the four critical areas of health and wellness that Savhera employees cover. The goal is to facilitate individual empowerment, relational growth, and collective flourishing.
This unique human development approach changes lives, and it wouldn’t be possible without you.
Have you ever wondered if shopping Fair Trade really makes a difference? We’re pursuing a Fair Trade Federation membership because we believe it does. Since dignity for people and planet drives everything we do, fair trade is a no brainer.
]]>Have you ever wondered if shopping Fair Trade really makes a difference?
We’re pursuing a Fair Trade Federation membership because we believe it does. Since dignity for people and planet drives everything we do, fair trade is a no brainer.
According to the Fair Trade Federation, “Fair trade is an approach to business and to development based on dialogue, transparency, and respect. It seeks to create greater equity in the international trading system. Fair trade businesses partner with farmers and craftspeople in developing countries who are socially and economically marginalized in finding markets and customers for their goods.”
A fair wage simply means that producers receive a fair wage and are paid fairly for their products. A fair wage means a living wage in the region that the producer lives in. According to the Fair Trade Federation, a living wage “allows the producer to “cover basic needs, including food, shelter, education and health care for their families.”
But fair trade is about more than just fair wages.
According to the Fair Trade Federation, “fair” means that “trading partnerships are based on reciprocal benefits and mutual respect; that prices paid to producers reflect the work they do; that producers share decision making power; that national health, safety, and wage laws are enforced; and that products are environmentally sustainable and conserve natural resources.”
Not necessarily. Because Fair Trade Federation members bypass exploitative middle people, they can work directly with producers. This avoids unnecessary expenses. Ensuring that a producer is paid fair wages doesn’t necessarily mean that the consumer is paying more for the product. It just ensures that more of the consumer’s payment goes to the producer.
When you see the Fair Trade Federation logo on a product, you can ensure that the company has been screened and verified by the FTF. If a company or organization is a Fair Trade Federation member it means that they don’t just sell a few fair trade products, but rather they integrate fair trade practices and principles into everything they do. A Fair Trade Federation member has a deep level of commitment to fair trade practices and they maintain long-term relationships with small producers. This is the kind of ethical business that we are excited to show the world.
You might be wondering why you haven’t seen the Fair Trade Federation logo on your Savhera products yet. In order to be an official Fair Trade Federation member, a business must go through a rigorous application and approval process. Savhera is in the middle of this process. The Fair Trade Federation must thoroughly trace every part of Savhera’s supply chain and receive recommendations from our supplier partners. This takes time, but we are proud to be moving toward becoming a member of the Fair Trade Federation.
]]>Have you ever seen the Female Founder Collective logo at the bottom of our home page or on another business page that you love? The Female Founder Collective logo helps you identify female-owned and led businesses so that you can empower women as you shop. Your dollar vote has power, and so does your advocacy. As the Female Founder Collective says, “Women have the power to change the world. From our purchasing decisions as consumers to the leadership and employment opportunities we offer as business owners, women are an incredible and undeniable force.”
That force drives all that we do – we are women supporting women. We joined the Female Founder Collective because we believe in the power of empowered women – whether that’s a brave human trafficking survivor finding freedom and opportunity through dignified employment or one of our beautiful customers enjoying wellness products that help her live her best life. We’re stronger together.
The Female Founder Collective is a network of businesses led by women and supporting women. Their mission is to “enable and empower female owned and led businesses to positively impact our communities, both socially and economically. The community of the collective will enable women to connect with other women in order to give vetted resources around capital, growing their business and operating more efficiently.”
The Female Founder Collective is a membership platform that helps connect female founders around the globe with each other and the skills and resources they need to thrive.
More than 11.6 million firms are owned by women. That translates into 9 million jobs and $1.7 trillion in sales. Women reinvest in their families and communities at higher rates than men. So by increasing the wealth and opportunities for women-owned businesses, we can impact our communities for the better. We can change the world.
Want to be part of the change? Here are two things you can do to empower women-owned businesses:
By supporting female-owned businesses, we can show the world the power that women have to transform and shape our communities. Find more women-owned businesses at the Support Your Ladies directory. Let’s shop strong!
]]>Life is what you make of it, so when you’re handed a basket of lemons you might as well make lemonade. Unfortunately, choosing to see the positive in difficult situations doesn’t always come naturally – it takes work to change your attitude. If you’re looking for a way to bring more positivity into your life, especially during times of stress, here are some simple tips to get you started.
]]>Life is what you make of it, so when you’re handed a basket of lemons you might as well make lemonade.
Unfortunately, choosing to see the positive in difficult situations doesn’t always come naturally – it takes work to change your attitude.
If you’re looking for a way to bring more positivity into your life, especially during times of stress, here are some simple tips to get you started.
Each day is a new beginning and a new opportunity to practice positivity. Start your day on the right foot with something relaxing like yoga, meditation, or journaling.
Listen to your favorite podcast over coffee or make yourself a healthy breakfast. Before you head out the door for the day, roll on an uplifting essential oil blend to put an extra pep in your step.
We all have an inner dialogue running through our minds, but we may not realize the impact it has on our mood.
If your innermost thoughts trend negative, so will your outward attitude on life. When you find yourself following a negative pattern of thought, pause for a moment and see if you can reframe it in a more positive, or at least more constructive, way.
Even when you’re having a hard time seeing the good in life, there is always something to be thankful for.
Research suggests gratitude is strongly associated with improved happiness and practicing gratitude could help relieve stress.[1]
Keep a gratitude journal or simply make a list of the things you’re thankful for so you can revisit it when you start to feel down.
It’s much easier to be positive when you surround yourself with positive people. Take inventory of the relationships in your life and identify the ones that lift you up and those that bring you down.
Prioritize healthy relationships with friends and family, making an effort to connect with at least one other person each day.
Don’t put your valuable time and energy into toxic relationships that affect you negatively.
Self-care is essential for relieving stress and maintaining a positive outlook. When you feel rested and relaxed, good thoughts come more easily.
Fuel your body with a healthy, balanced diet and make an effort to include exercise in your daily routine. When you need a break, try aromatherapy.
Treat yourself to an at-home spa day with a relaxing aromatherapy blend to help soothe your mind and body.
If you’re struggling with negative self-talk, anxiety, or depression you might benefit from some expert advice.
Talk to a therapist or even a trusted friend to learn how to identify the areas of negativity in your life and to pinpoint your triggers for stress.
For professional help when you want it, try online psychiatry – free consultations are available to make sure you get the help you need without leaving home.
While life may not always be sunshine and rainbows all the time, you have the power to shape your experience.
When the rain clouds roll in, look for the silver lining and practice positivity every chance you get. With a little time and practice, you can cultivate a positive attitude that becomes a habit.
[1] https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier#:~:text=In%20positive%20psychology%20research%2C%20gratitude,adversity%2C%20and%20build%20strong%20relationships.
]]>Many of you know about Savhera’s mission to diffuse dignity in every bottle and offer employment to survivors of human trafficking. What you may not know is how we do it. Savhera is a public benefit corporation.
Unfortunately, millions of men, women, and children all over the world still face dehumanizing work conditions, sometimes conditions they were trafficked into through force, fraud, or coercion. Thankfully, public benefit corporations offer an empowering alternative for survivors, employees, and customers alike.
A public benefit corporation is a legal incorporation, available in 30 states, which allows organizations like Savhera to identify a purpose beyond profit. According to benefitcorp.net, becoming a public benefit corporation “protects mission through capital raises and leadership changes, creates more flexibility when evaluating potential sale and liquidity options, and prepares businesses to lead a mission-driven life post-IPO,” according to benefitcorp.net. Being a public benefit corporation combines business with justice and puts our mission at the forefront.
Public benefit corporations (PBCs) are on the rise and becoming an ever-more popular way to conduct business due to increasing demands for socially conscious business practices. According to the 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey, more than half of millennials refuse to work for certain companies “because of its values or standard of conduct.” This emphasis on values is also important for older employees. Deloitte found 64% of people in senior positions cite their values and morals as the greatest determining factor on work decisions and their goals are “to rebalance business priorities by putting people before profit.”
As of 2017, public benefit corporations have been adopted in Texas and are on the rise. Savhera is proud to be one of these organizations.
We are dedicated to employing and empowering survivors of sexual exploitation. We value a workplace that is supportive, encourages growth, and helps our employees succeed in all aspects of their lives.
Every purchase of Savhera products you make directly contributes to this workplace and combats human trafficking by creating dignified employment.
Will you help us create a world where dignity is diffused in every workplace?
]]>Do you want to earn money and rewards while making a difference? Savhera’s affiliate program helps transform lives for both the affiliate and the survivors through the simple acts of giving and sharing.
To be an affiliate means to form a mutually beneficial partnership. Partners share more than a goal, they share a vision. If you share our vision of eradicating human trafficking and ensuring survivors of trafficking have access to dignified employment and education, you should consider becoming a Savhera affiliate!
When you become an affiliate, you become part of a special community of wellness advocates and justice-seekers who live with purpose, love people, and honor the planet!
As an affiliate, you not only support the economic empowerment of trafficking survivors (which is enough of a perk in and of itself!), you also earn money and rewards while doing it! Affiliates make 8% commission on their referral and have the opportunity to earn amazing perks.
Anyone can become a Savhera affiliate. You do not have to pay or become a member, just check out our affiliate agreement page and sign up! The only requirements are to be passionate about justice and wellness!
We are a global company that ships all over the world and is constantly expanding, so you can become an affiliate no matter where you are. For additional information see our affiliate Q&A or email us at affiliates@savhera.com to explore further.
Make a difference in the lives of survivors - and yourself! - by signing up for Savhera’s affiliate program today!
]]>Friends, many of you have reached out to ask how our team in India is doing amidst the massive surge in COVID cases there in the last few weeks. I wish I could tell you that we have been unscathed, but unfortunately, that's not the case. Currently, six of our nine team members in India have COVID. Hospital beds are full, ventilators are in short supply, and none of them have been able to find treatment.
We thought we experienced the worst of it when Delhi was in lockdown for two months in 2020. At that time, we were so thankful that none of our employees contracted COVID, but we faced major difficulty as a startup when our office remained vacant and work came to a screeching halt. Nevertheless, we remained faithful to our mission of dignified work even when COVID made work impossible. None of our employees missed a paycheck and we overcame in the face of dire challenges completely out of our control.
Now, COVID has ravaged our beloved team and Delhi is in lockdown again. And we are committed, once again, to walk through this fire with our employees. Savhera's team members are overcomers. They have experienced profound suffering that most of us cannot imagine, and yet they overcome. Time and time again, they overcome. But it's exhausting and no one can do it alone.
As people who do justice and love mercy, we need your support now more than ever to help get us through this trying season. Whether it's cultivating dignity and renewal through the purchase of our premium products, sharing the message of Savhera with others, or sending prayers on our behalf, we want you to walk alongside us as we overcome once again so that more can experience the fragrance of freedom with Savhera.
For wellness + justice,
Vanessa
]]>Your aromatherapy practices can restore others!
Aromatherapy is about way more than your house smelling good...although that’s definitely a positive side-effect! Aromatherapy is about using essential oils and natural botanicals in various forms of self-care.
Since the ancient world, humans have recognized the physical and psychological benefits of aromatherapy. From medicinal to religious purposes and everything in between, aromatherapy has helped humans deal with life’s problems for thousands of years.
Aromatherapy can help you heal in a variety of ways. Aromatherapy is thought to provide some physical and psychological benefits to issues many of us deal with daily, including:
You can show yourself some self-love by enjoying aromatherapy in many different ways, including:
Aromatherapy is healing for you. And it gives you the opportunity to heal other people. Conscious consumers like you know that your daily products can make a world of difference to others. When your aromatherapy purchases directly contribute to the freedom and empowerment of sex trafficking survivors, you take wellness to a whole new level. The future of social justice belongs to change-makers like you, who know that buying essential oils is an opportunity to vote with your dollars. You breathe in aromatherapy and breathe out social change. Holistic wellness can mean more than just the wellbeing of your mind, body, and soul. Thanks to you, it can encompass the wellbeing of others.
As you heal, you heal others.
New beginnings in every bottle – for you and for her. Together, we become well.
]]>Kindness transforms lives and changes the world! That's why we're initiating the #DiffusingKindness Movement! Here's how it works:
1. Take a pic or video of you doing something kind
2. Post it to your feed using hashtag #DiffusingKindness and tag @savherawellness
3. Tag FIVE friends to challenge them to a random act of kindness.
Do you want to earn money and rewards while making a difference? Savhera’s affiliate program helps transform lives for both the affiliate and the survivors through the simple acts of giving and sharing.
To be an affiliate means to form a mutually beneficial partnership. Partners share more than a goal, they share a vision. If you share our vision of eradicating human trafficking and ensuring survivors of trafficking have access to dignified employment and education, you should consider becoming a Savhera affiliate!
When you become an affiliate, you become part of a special community of wellness advocates and justice-seekers who live with purpose, love people, and honor the planet!
As an affiliate, you not only support the economic empowerment of trafficking survivors (which is enough of a perk in and of itself!), you also earn money and rewards while doing it! Affiliates make 8% commission on their referral and have the opportunity to earn amazing perks.
Anyone can become a Savhera affiliate. You do not have to pay or become a member, just check out our affiliate agreement page and sign up! The only requirements are to be passionate about justice and wellness!
We are a global company that ships all over the world and is constantly expanding, so you can become an affiliate no matter where you are. For additional information see our affiliate Q&A or email us at affiliates@savhera.com to explore further.
Make a difference in the lives of survivors - and yourself! - by signing up for Savhera’s affiliate program today!
]]>We buy things all the time, often without thinking about it beyond what it means for our wallet. We don’t often take the time to consider how our purchases impact the world. Your purposes have a purpose and you can make each purchase count by shopping ethically!
All over the world, many workers are exploited - whether by unfair wages, mistreatment, or by being trafficked/indentured servants. Conscious consumption allows you to be the change you want to see in the world by making an effort to purchase from companies that do not engage in these practices and whose money is guaranteed to go directly back to the workers.
In addition to helping workers and the environment, there are many benefits to ethical shopping. The customer also benefits as ethical items are often better quality and last longer than fast fashion and mass market products. This means quality over quantity. When you consume consciously you are directly impacting the employees who made the product you are purchasing.
One product that you definitely want to invest in is essential oils because you want to be sure they are USDA certified organic and good quality, but also because you want to know where and how it is sourced and by whom. Savhera releases all test results for every batch and we are transparent about how, by whom, and where our oils are sourced. Additionally, every purchase gives back directly to the women we employ. You can clearly see where your money is going every time you see the smiles on our employees’ faces or receive a thank you note from Ava, one of the survivors we employ in the United States.
Additionally, we care about you and your wellness of body and mind. Every bottle means new beginnings for survivors of sex trafficking, but it also means new beginnings for every customer.
We have the power to make mindless consumption a conscious choice. You vote with your dollars, so make your vote count!
]]>Every workday, our teams in the U.S. and India gather together to meditate.
Our founders wrote a book called Diffusing Dignity, with 30 meditations based on Savhera’s values, which we rotate through during team meditations.
Why do we pause our busy schedules every weekday to meditate together? For us, it’s an essential part of cultivating a culture of mindfulness and holistic wellness. We strive to be a wellness company that does more than just produce wellness products. We also strive to bring wellness to our employees – many of whom are survivors of sex trafficking.
As our global team can attest, meditation is an essential part of inner healing.
According to Healthline and Insider.com, there are several significant, science-based benefits to meditation.
Meditation can:
Daily mindfulness doesn’t have to be a big commitment. Even five-minute meditations can prove effective. Even so, many of us find it difficult to set aside that investment of time and intentionality. But look at the above list of scientifically-proven benefits of meditation. You’re worth it. You deserve to invest in your own wellbeing. In doing so, you can achieve the power to invest in the wellbeing of others.
As a Savhera shopper, you’re supporting a culture of mindfulness and holistic wellness for all. As part of their employment at Savhera, our employees are given paid time every day to meditate and practice much-needed mindfulness. That’s what your wellness products support! When you get wellness, you give wellness!
That’s what we like to call a new beginning in every bottle.
]]>One of the great trafficking myths is that a victim can just leave anytime she wants. This is false on many levels. Traffickers use acute forms of brainwashing, manipulation, and serious physical threats to persuade their victims that there’s no way out. Trafficked women often fear for their own lives as well as the lives of their families if they consider escape. But beyond these tactics and threats, the women often feel helpless because of their lack of education, resources, and job training. Even if they could manage to escape, where would they possibly go? Their vulnerability makes them an easy target for more exploitation.
Many women are trafficked from an early age. Some are even born in the brothels. Traffickers deny them access to formal education. In India especially, it’s common for a trafficked woman to have no understanding of or exposure to the world outside the brothel. As a result, trafficking victims often lack the skills required to work even basic jobs. Employers have no reason to hire them and often don’t even consider them for a job. When they first came to Savhera, many of our production associates in India were illiterate and lacked basic math skills. One of our current employees in the U.S. came to Savhera without basic computer or email skills due to her education and freedom being denied to her by her trafficker.
Imagine lacking the skills most of us take for granted and trying to convince someone to hire you for a dignified, well-paying job?
That’s where you come in!
Your purchase has power. By choosing to shop from social enterprises that support trafficking survivors, you can help break down the barriers that these women face. When you choose Savhera wellness products, you’re helping give employment to marginalized women before they are qualified for the job! We start paying our employees’ salaries while they go through holistic healing programs and learn the skills needed to begin their roles at Savhera.
When you buy Savhera oils, you’re saying “I believe in her potential.”
Savhera provides free technology training to our employees who have come out of trafficking. This training not only equips them for their jobs at Savhera but also empowers them to reenter society and work towards their dreams and future opportunities.
That’s the power of choosing wellness products that say “I believe in her purpose.”
In 2020, you helped give 120 hours of tech training to survivors of human trafficking!
Women who once believed they had no place in society are now dreaming about their futures….all because customers like you are willing to dream about what your dollar votes can do.
]]>Our social mission is to empower women by giving trafficking survivors dignified employment. Empowerment is a creative, life-giving force! But it cannot grow in a void. We love this quote from our meditation book.
]]>Empowerment is one of Savhera’s values, As our team meditation book reminds us,
“The word “empower” literally means “to put power into.” When you empower someone, you are putting power into them. Power is defined as control or authority over someone or something. Thus, when you put power into someone, you are literally giving them control and authority over someone (including themselves) or something.”
Our social mission is to empower women by giving trafficking survivors dignified employment.
Empowerment is a creative, life-giving force! But it cannot grow in a void. We love this quote from our meditation book:
“What is important is that you cannot put power into someone if you have no power yourself to give. You must feel empowered yourself before empowering others.”
How Can You Become Empowered?
Many of us are privileged enough to have been empowered by someone. Maybe it was a grandparent, parent, teacher, mentor, or friend. If you’ve experienced this, you know the feeling of recognizing your own potential because someone else saw it first. Or you feel affirmed because someone finally acknowledged you for who you are and what you’re capable of. Empowerment sparks empowerment. Have you ever encouraged someone, given someone a chance, or told someone their worth because you remember someone doing the same for you? That’s continuing the virtuous cycle of empowerment.
A Simple Way You Can Empower Others
At Savhera, empowering trafficking survivors means providing dignified jobs with fair wages and benefits, access to health and education, economic inclusivity, space and support needed to mentally and physically heal, affirmation, encouragement, opportunities, and much more. Many of the women we hire at Savhera have never experienced empowerment before. Their past is defined by exploitation. But that exploitation doesn’t define them!
And guess what? You’re part of this empowerment story! When you use your empowerment to shop Savhera, you create a positive ripple effect. Because of you, other women become empowered!
And the story doesn’t end there. Empowerment is not just a transaction or even an exchange. Empowerment creates a positive snowball effect. When our employees are empowered, they go on to empower others. They empower each other, their families, and their communities.
Through premium wellness products and the chance to give back through our social enterprise model, we invite you into the virtuous cycle of empowerment.
When you buy Savhera, you’re empowering trafficking survivors with dignified jobs. When these women are empowered, they will take that power and empower others. It’s good that keeps on doing good. Or, as we like to say: a new beginning in every bottle.
Take a moment to meditate with us:
How can you be empowered today? Who can you empower?
]]>Love is one of the values we meditate on together as a team. A reflection from our love meditation goes like this: “Love is a choice that is at once selfless and self-giving. Loving people unconditionally means never expecting anything in return, it means offering oneself in the service of others...Loving people unconditionally also means healing, restoration, redemption, hope, and grace for ourselves – self-giving.” We are made for love. But our wrongdoers take advantage of that. Traffickers often use false love and manipulation to groom their victims and exploit them.
]]>Love is one of the values we meditate on together as a team. A reflection from our love meditation goes like this:
“Love is a choice that is at once selfless and self-giving. Loving people unconditionally means never expecting anything in return, it means offering oneself in the service of others...Loving people unconditionally also means healing, restoration, redemption, hope, and grace for ourselves – self-giving.”
We are made for love. But our wrongdoers take advantage of that.
Traffickers often use false love and manipulation to groom their victims and exploit them.
Ava is a survivor-turned-thriver who now works as Savhera’s fulfillment coordinator and sales enthusiast. She tells how her trafficker deceived her with false love. She said that her trafficker targeted her when she was most vulnerable, most in need of true love. Her trafficker used another woman to compliment Ava, calling her beautiful and giving her a sense of worth. This other woman sang praises of the man who would traffic Ava, saying he would give Ava true love.
Ava explains that when she met her trafficker, “he was everything she explained to me. Handsome. Wealthy. Charismatic. Romantic. He told me he wanted to make my dreams come true.”
The trafficker pretended to love Ava. He promised her a life of luxury. Ava writes,
"I spent two days with him where he showered me with clothes, gifts, shoes, money and love. I finally found a place where I was accepted for who I was. I was finally appreciated and cared for in a way I hadn’t been before. My perception at the time was that I was dropped off in heaven where my “angel” was going to take care of me forever.”
But the false “love” soon started showing signs of the trafficker’s plans for selfish gain.
Ava tells the story, “After those two days, I was flown to South Carolina where I was sold for the first time to a stranger for $200. I remember how disgusting I felt.”
Ava was trafficked for three years by the man who pretended to love her. He used manipulative tactics to convince Ava that she had to endure the exploitation to one day live the life she desired. He brainwashed her to believe that he loved her and that’s why he was doing this to her.
Ava explains the tactics all too often used by traffickers, “I was brainwashed to believe that if I was loyal and did everything my trafficker asked of me, I would make a great life for myself, and he would help me because he loved me. The “clients” would beat me, rape me, pepper spray me, try to kidnap me but I always had in the back of my mind, “This is what I have to do for now. Eventually, the two of us will get out of this and have a life for ourselves.”
Thankfully, Ava is now free from this manipulative and selfish counterfeit “love.” Getting arrested (her trafficker’s fault!) and being separated from her trafficker was what finally helped her see the reality behind his lies. Now Ava is thriving as she pursues education, builds authentic community, and works with Savhera. She says, “To me, this is not just a job. I have found people who truly care for me and love me unconditionally.”
Ava always deserved real love. And now that the lies of her trafficker are silenced, she says, “I know my identity, my strengths, and my worth.”
]]>When you think of freedom, what is it that you envision? To be without restrictions or limitations? To be able to act, speak, and do as you please?
Freedom is defined as:
1: the quality or state of being free: such as
a: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
b: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : INDEPENDENCE
We often conflate freedom with independence or even privilege and opportunity, but these are each separate, unique things. The truth is freedom varies from person to person. It is being free of what people think of you and being independent not only in autonomy but in mind as well.
When a human trafficking survivor makes the remarkable transition from survivor to thriver they discover their own freedom, their thoughts, feelings, and desires free from oppression. Being trafficked is not only a physical or financial bondage, but a spiritual one. Once coercion and necessity is no longer placed on a person, they can explore and discover their own self-worth.
Freedom also means openness and transcending both internal and external barriers. Another definition of freedom is “having the ability to act or change without constraint”, so when these constraints are removed, we can do whatever we have been held back from doing. While the constraints vary from person to person, we can all take steps to overcome the power of others and find power in ourselves.
What is something the circumstance or anxiety has prevented you from doing? How can you pursue these things in 2021? What steps can you take to achieve it?
]]>We live in a world where over 750 million adults cannot read or write, and two-thirds of those illiterate adults are women. Many people cannot even read a street sign or sign their name on an application. These barriers inform their entire existence and increase their vulnerability to exploitation, physical abuse, sexual violence, and poverty.
In India, there are approximately 287 million illiterate adults. This is the largest illiterate population in the world amounts to 37% of the global total. 47.78% out of school children in India are girls. India is ranked at 123 out of 135 countries in female literacy rate.
In the United States, it is estimated that one in five adults (20%) is illiterate or possesses low literacy skills. This translates into 43.0 million people.
All communities are vulnerable to human trafficking, and education is the great tool for preventing it. Education saves lives both by spreading awareness and understanding and ensuring people have essential life skills to find sustainable, dignified employment.
Most of our production associates in India previously lacked basic literacy. With your help, they learn to read, write, do math, keep a budget and navigate through their city all through our Human Flourishing Model, P.I.E.S. Eventually, they gain knowledge about their history and culture and develop the confidence and skills to instruct others and create their own masterpieces.