With the holidays approaching, travel advisors looking for gift ideas that also support a good cause should check out Cambodia-based Landmine Design. The company, founded in 2012 by Denver resident Karla Tillapaugh, provides employment for women in one of the most impoverished and desperate places in the world.
The name of the company comes from the fact that Northern Cambodia is littered with thousands of land mines — a curse left over from the years of war with the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. These mines greatly restrict the opportunities available for the region’s residents, forcing women in particular to travel to find work. Sadly, many find themselves caught up in modern-day slavery or sex trafficking.
Tillapaugh sought to change this by providing steady work for women in their villages so they could be close to family and reduce the possibility of victimization. Landmine Design started with six women and has now grown to more than 20. For the past three years, the Globus Family of Brands has been a supporter of the organization. Landmine Design products are now available for sale on Avalon Waterways’ river cruise ships on the Mekong River.
“Landmine Design was created to give women in the minefield a chance to make a living on their own, from their homes,” said Pam Hoffee, managing director of Avalon Waterways and chief operating officer of the Globus Family of Brands. “These women, once exploited and at risk for human trafficking, have instead become artists, leaders and businesswomen.”
Items can be purchased from the company’s website, where visitors will also find the real-life stories of some of the women who create the products.
The Details
Landmine Design
www.landminedesign.org
