GoodWeave Newsletter
Fall 2022

2022 has been a busy and exciting year at GoodWeave! Since April 2022, we’ve added nine new licensees selling GoodWeave certified and labeled products in Australia, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. We have also expanded our partnership with the Fund Against Child Labor (FBK), part of Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and other donors such as the Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York. We’re excited to have resumed travel, attend tradeshows and network in person again to continue expansion of our programs in key markets around the world.  
IN THIS ISSUE
  • GoodWeave strengthens governance 
  • GoodWeave CEO named to JWFNY Collective 
  • Netherland’s government expands support 
  • Free eye screenings 
  • Child Friendly Community celebrations in India 
  • Maya's story - Nepal
  • Two new staff members 
  • Decorex London 
  • Upcoming events  
  • Wayfair’s new Shop Sustainably
We are grateful for the continued support we receive from our donors – individuals, governments and foundations – and our business partners. These partnerships are what allow us to do the impactful and critical work we do to rescue, rehabilitate and educate at-risk children and improve working conditions for adults. We hope the updates in this issue further your understanding of GoodWeave’s important work and how your support is making an impact. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected].

U.S. Federal Employees and Retirees: The 2022 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) solicitation period is Sept. 1, 2022 through Jan. 14, 2023. Please consider making a gift to GoodWeave International here. Our CFC number is 11139. 
GoodWeave strengthens governance by
bolstering Board of Directors and
 Standards Committee with new members  
GoodWeave International has added Siddharth Kara and Jacqueline Joudo Larsen to its board of directors while also appointing 10 new Standards Committee members. This is part of the organization’s ongoing effort to ensure a balanced and diverse group of stakeholders participate in decision-making forums that influence GoodWeave’s work. Kara is a leading researcher and activist on modern slavery and child labor, and author of several books including “Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery,” “Bonded Labor: Tackling the System of Slavery in South Asia,” “Modern Slavery: A Global Perspective,” and the forthcoming “Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers our Lives.” Joudo Larsen is deputy director and head of global research at Walk Free, an international human rights organization working to end modern slavery, and a co-author of the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery and several editions of the Global Slavery Index. 
 
The Standards Committee oversees the development and revisions of the GoodWeave International Generic Standard. Standards Committee members represent a cross section of stakeholders including nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, industry representatives — which are users of GoodWeave’s licensing and certification program, GoodWeave staff and/or board members, and representatives with lived experience as a former worker and/or survivor of child labor. Read the full press release
Nina Smith, GoodWeave International CEO,
named to JWFNY Collective 
In May, GoodWeave CEO Nina Smith, was named one of ten Jewish women social entrepreneurs selected to the fourth cohort of the Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York (JWFNY) Collective. The Collective — established in 2019 — is an incubator for Jewish women change makers using a Jewish and gender lens to address critical societal needs and issues, both existing and emerging, with the innovation and determination to make meaningful systemic change and inspire others. Read more about this latest honor. 
In July 2022, the Fund Against Child Labor (FBK), part of RVO, launched a short film featuring GoodWeave as an FBK ambassador. In the film, Silvia Mera, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy, discusses GoodWeave’s experience working with FBK to carry out a project with several Dutch companies aimed at addressing child labor in outsourced apparel and textile supply chains, as well as how the Fund helps Dutch companies strengthen their child labor due diligence. Watch the video interview here.
In September 2022, GoodWeave initiated two new projects funded by FBK. The first project, “Child Labor Free Supply Chains – Deep Due Diligence for Dutch Companies” supports GoodWeave’s work to eliminate child labor in carpet supply chains in India and Nepal, as well as an expanded effort to grow GoodWeave’s presence in the Dutch market. The second project, “Child Labor in Subcontracted Ready-Made Garment Supply Chains in Bangladesh: From Impact Assessment to Holistic Due Diligence,” aims to advance child labor research and interventions in the informal ready-made garment sector in Bangladesh. The project is being carried out in partnership with Women Win, a Dutch nonprofit focused on gender equality, and two garment companies.
GoodWeave supports free eye screenings – critical for weavers – in Child Friendly Communities in India
In June 2022, GoodWeave and its local partner, MSEMVS, offered free eye screenings to carpet weavers and families in two Child Friendly Communities and several carpet production sites in Panipat, Haryana. Over 1,000 adults and 35 children received a free screening, which included eye testing and consultation with a doctor. Beneficiaries diagnosed with vision impairment received free eyeglasses. Serious cases were referred to local hospitals. Eye screenings are essential for weavers, who often suffer from vision impairment because of long hours spent working in poorly lighted rooms on intricate designs. Many workers cannot afford the cost of eye care or eyeglasses, and with time vision impairment if not addressed, affects their productivity and quality of life.
Photo credits: © MSEMVS / GoodWeave International
June celebrations at GoodWeave Child Friendly Communities in India
On June 5, GoodWeave’s Child Friendly Communities in India celebrated World Environment Day. 1,500 students spread awareness about the importance of protecting our environment by creating posters, writing essays and planting trees.
On International Yoga Day, June 21, GoodWeave’s Child Friendly Communities in India held special events in coordination with local schools to teach about the benefits of yoga and promote a healthy lifestyle. 2,500 people participated, children and adults alike.
Maya: Overcoming adversity and making a new life
with GoodWeave’s support
Photo caption: Maya (second row, first on the right)
at the Lab School with classmates also supported by GoodWeave. 
Photo credit: The Studio_M – thestudiom.com
GoodWeave’s holistic program to stop child labor in global supply chains integrates a unique focus on the rehabilitation of child labor survivors like Maya, now an ambitious 12th grader at the prestigious Laboratory (Lab) School in Kathmandu – one of GoodWeave’s partner schools. 

Born in a village in south eastern Nepal, Maya’s childhood was not easy. She performed household chores and tended livestock from a very young age to help her family. Poverty and other family challenges led to Maya’s mother abandoning the family, and her father was not able to care for Maya and her brother. Then more tragedy struck when her brother passed away, leaving Maya helpless and alone. Read more of Maya’s story.
GoodWeave welcomes two new staff members
This spring, GoodWeave made two important hires that have strengthened the organization’s ability to carry out its mission to end child labor in global supply chains. Sonny Puryear, joined as Director of Business Development and Marketing, and Gweneth Langdon joined as Director of Standards and Certification. Sonny has over a decade of experience in the global textile and apparel industry, serving most recently as Marketing and Business Development Manager, USA and Canada of ISKO, a global premium sustainable denim mill. 
Sonny Puryear 
Gwen previously worked at Preferred by Nature, advising companies on responsible sourcing practices and partnering with NGOs to develop and implement strong sustainability standards and verification systems. Prior to this role, she worked at Rainforest Alliance for over 10 years, managing the certification division's global chain of custody accreditations and had oversight of label and seal use.

Read more about these new staff members.
Gweneth Langdon
GoodWeave exhibits at Decorex 2022 in London
Earlier this month, GoodWeave exhibited at the Decorex 2022 show in London where thousands of people from the design community came together. GoodWeave’s Director of Business Engagement and Marketing, Sonny Puryear, and UK Business Development Manager, Fay Handley, were there promoting the crucial service GoodWeave provides to make the interior design sector more sustainable. They also connected with several GoodWeave licensees including A Rum Fellow, Bazaar Velvet, Edition Bougainville, Jacaranda, Matthew Wailes, Tanya Johnson Design, The Romo Group, The Rug Company, and Wendy Morrison Design.
Photo caption: GoodWeave licensee, Dylan O’Shea, owner of London’s A Rum Fellow Design Studio, with Fay Handley of GoodWeave UK.
Photo caption: GoodWeave licensee Bazaar Velvet at GoodWeave’s booth. (L to R) GoodWeave’s Sonny Puryear and Bazaar Velvet's Chris Mould and his son Finn, who is joining the business.
Photo credits: GoodWeave International
Upcoming events
Oct. 25- 27, 2022 | The Elkes Foundation | North America and Europe Regional Freedom from Slavery Forum 2022 in Toronto | Dan Karlin, GoodWeave Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager, will speak on the panel “Survivor Engagement and Allyship in the Anti-labor Trafficking Movement” and also co-facilitate the “New Legal Tools to Address Forced Labor in Supply Chains” workshop | Learn more and register here.
Find GoodWeave® certified rugs in Wayfair’s new
Shop Sustainably product offering
GoodWeave is excited to be part of Shop Sustainably, Wayfair’s third-party certified sustainable product offering! Shop Sustainably features more than 50 third-party product certifications and is the largest selection of sustainability certifications featured by a home retailer.

When shopping on Wayfair, you can now select the Shop Sustainably filter to find GoodWeave certified products. Learn more here.
Welcome new
brand partners
GoodWeave by
the numbers 
Because of your support, to date GoodWeave has:
  • Ensured freedom for 9,436 children
  • Provided educational opportunities for 44,893 children
  • Reached 88,773 workers in supply chains in 2022
  • Certified more than 34 million products as child labor free
Employment Opportunities
Apply or spread the word about the opportunity to join GoodWeave’s team. We are seeking to fill two positions:


(202) 234-9050