{BragWorthy Christmas} ABAN empowering women everywhere Cute Bags+ Giveaway! (2 Winners)

I was sent items from ABAN to review, all opinions are my own.

ABAN stands for A Ban against Neglect meaning they are Empowering Women to take a stand not only for themselves but for the environment that they live in. I absolutely love when I can find a company that is helping others achieve their dreams by helping those who may not have the resources to help themselves.

“The idea for ABAN began when its three founders first met at the University of Ghana in 2008. Callie Brauel and Emmanuel Quarmyne met while working on a project for an NGO management class. Both were disturbed by the millions of plastic water bags littering the streets of Accra. So they used this class to create a mock non-profit that turned this waste into upcycled products.

Day in and day out, they became more disheartened at hearing the children’s stories of begging, stealing and prostituting on the streets in order to survive. They became particularly concerned with the plights and injustices of young women on the streets and the perpetuation of poverty through second-generation street children. Emmanuel, Callie and Rebecca quickly joined their passions and ideas to create a solution to two salient problems in the streets of West Africa: they would empower neglected and vulnerable homeless young women by creating products made out of recycled plastic littering the streets of Accra. From that day forward, they decided to commit their lives to placing A Ban Against Neglect—the neglect of both these young women and their environment.

From the fall of 2008 until the summer of 2010, they sold upcycled products to support Accra’s youth. By the time all three completed their college degrees in the summer of 2010, they had won the Carolina Challenge, a prestigious business competition at UNC-Chapel Hill (Callie’s home university). With the seed funding this competition provided and a team of accumulated local and international volunteers, ABAN was able to register as its own non-profit and recruit their first class of 12 young mothers from the streets of Accra.” (ABAN website)

I love that ABAN is dedicated to empowering women by helping them get jobs and also making these fantastic products which I received. Each product they sell is named after a baby or woman in one of their 3 programs. ( I will talk about that in a bit) Each product also has the name of the woman or girl who made the product!

I think it is so cool that they are taking the water bags that are all over the streets and lining these fun printed bags to make recycled bags!

ABAN has a bag for every occasion and cute designs too! I really love the Gifty Tote and how spacious it is! I can use it to go shopping, buy groceries, to church and more! It comes in several different colors! “A tote bag is perfect for every occasion! Use the Gifty Tote as a shopping bag, grocery bag, or even a travel tote bag! Large enough to fit everything you need all day long and includes pockets inside for maximum organization. Each large tote bag is lined with recycled plastic and features hand-dyed batik fabric. You’ll be sure to get some compliments with this tote!” (ABAN website)

PicMonkey Collage1

Another product I really love is the Beatrice Bag! It comes in purple (shown) and orange! This is the perfect diaper bag or everyday bag! It can fit bottles, diapers, wipes, sippy cups and anything else you might need for on the go. We like to use it when we go to the park or on hikes because of how spacious it is! What is awesome about this bag is that once purchased it will provide daycare for up to 3 ABAN children for 1 month so their mothers can further their education. IMG_0839[1]

What is perfect to go with the Gifty Tote is of course the cute wallets. I absolutely love the design of the wallet and can fit a ton of stuff in it! All items are made from recycled materials. ABAN also sells some really cool Rakia Wine Bags. We don’t drink wine BUT we drink Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider and these cute bags would be perfect for neighbor gifts for Christmas or to bring a long to a party!

What I love about these items is that each bag sold has a purpose to help a young mother or woman in need and further their education. Education is huge in my husbands family and I want my girls to get the best education possible. That is why I love the mission of ABAN. Not only are they making these cute bags and learning a trade BUT they are really helping themselves and their families!

“A Ban Against Neglect Preventing Homelessness. Building Stronger Communities.
A Ban Against Neglect strengthens impoverished rural communities in Ghana, West Africa, through three
programs:

ABAN Women’s Empowerment (AWE) prevents at-risk single mothers near Ghana’s capital city from becoming homeless. We strengthen each mother’s existing family connections and teach her to nurture her child, find secure job opportunities and invest in her community. Since 2010, 25 young women have graduated from ABAN Women’s Empowerment.

ABAN Community Employment (ACE) employs local artisans to create upcycled products. Made from traditional Ghanaian fabrics and discarded plastic bags, our beautiful products give community members stable jobs and help fund our Women’s Empowerment program. ACE currently employs 10 local tailors and seamstresses and upcycles 20,000 plastic bags each month.

The ABAN Preschool provides quality childcare for our Women’s Empowerment students and ACE employees. Babies and toddlers continue healthy development patterns in our preschool while their parents work, and AWE students also learn parenting and hygiene skills by assisting trained staff with childcare. About 20 children enroll each year.

ABAN also believes economic development depends on environmental sustainability. To promote this ideal and fund our programs, we create beautiful products which reflect our vision for a cleaner Ghana. Small plastic bags full of water, or “water sachets,” are Ghana’s primary source of safe drinking water. Lack of environmental awareness causes more than 40 tons of these bags to be thrown in the streets every single day.

ABAN creates one-of-a-kind products through the process of up-cycling these discarded water sachets and combining them with recycled glass and traditional Ghanaian batik fabrics.”

I have absolutely loved learning about ABAN and their sweets Moms and their fun bags. Please visit www.aban.org to purchase and learn more. ABAN is offering 30% off all products! Code: THEBRAGGINGMOMMY30 at checkout!