Les Amis + GAIA Empowered Women = Lots of Positive Karma

Why Positive Karma you ask? Because we are driven by a mutual desire to make a positive impact on the lives of our customers and our vendors. How you ask? By bringing beautiful products loaded with stories and warm fuzzies to the market while creating an opportunity for our customers and communities to give back.

We love that with GAIA Empowered Women, we have the opportunity to impact the lives of women and their families living in our own communities in Dallas.  Their mission is to empower marginalized women through employment, encouragement, and dedication to their long-term success. If you follow them on their Facebook Page, you’ll get to see a ton of pictures of the 5 refugee women they employ to create their pieces, and their adorable children!

Paula Minnis, Founder - Gaia Empowered Women

Les Amis Launches Bracelets by GAIA Empowered Women

Lauren Gaia, Merch Coordinator, Gaia Empowered Women, Dallas, TX

Gaia tv spt for NBC from Nick Prendergast on Vimeo.

Through a living wage and continued training & development, GAIA's goal is to lead the 5 women they currently employ in Dallas to financial independence and self-sufficiency. Gaia has helped them and their families find their way here in Dallas, develop a stable livelihood and create a community for them and their children. All their product is handmade using vintage, repurposed, or sustainable materials. GAIA is partners with the International Rescue Committee, which is how they found the women that work with them. The IRC responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster.

Here are some pictures from our recent Les Amis summer trunk show in Dallas.

GAIA's Youngest Customer Possibly!

My 2-year old daughter loves wearing the triple strand bracelet!

SHOP ONLINE HERE for the Bracelets!

http://www.shoplesamis.com/gaia-empowered-women/

Triple Strand Pink Bracelet

Triple Strand Butterfly Bracelet

Here is a little snapshot of who the GAIA women are -

Catherin is a Burmese refugee who recently arrived in Dallas with her two children after spending over 10 years in a refugee camp in Thailand.   She loves to learn, listen to music, and has a radiant smile that gets brighter every day.
Rana is an Iraqi refugee who fled Baghdad with her artist husband in early 2011, seeking a better life and safer environment in the US. She holds a college degree in Interior Design, and hopes to use her artistic talents to build a career in her new home.

Muna came to the US from Iraq with her husband and two young children in 2009. She has a degree in Physics, and taught high school in Baghdad. Muna can also knit, crochet, and is a skilled seamstress who once sewed wedding gowns for brides in Iraq.
Maria, a Burmese refugee, recently arrived in the United States after spending 13 years in a refugee camp with her husband and three young children. Maria loves to cook and enjoys creating a warm home for her family.
Born in Tunisia, Latifa arrived to the U.S. as a refugee from her husband's native country of Iraq.  She was a highly regarded seamstress for one of the largest clothing manufacturers in Jordan, where she lived for the last nine years. Not only does she enjoy sewing, but Latifa also loves to swim and is an avid reader.