Last month, on March 8, was International Women’s Day, a day of celebration that I am particularly fond of. Women in the US have made great strides since the days that we were considered chattel belong to our father or husband. We have more freedoms, more economic opportunity, more social opportunities, and more equality. But in many parts of the world, women do not enjoy these same advantages.

In Hagley Gap, Jamaica, the Blue Mountain Project is working with women to take control of their future by helping them improve their livelihoods through selling Eco-Weave bags. The women make these bags from discarded plastic bags, turning trash into useful art. This project has recently gotten a boost with a grant from the Grace Kennedy Foundation. Our grant with this Jamaican foundation will enable the women to contact potential vendors in Kingston and the north coast and to travel to these places to sell their beautiful bags and purses. Having money is just one step in the process of equality but it is a significant step.

For further information about the Blue Mountain Project please check out www.bluemountainproject.org