As the year comes to a close, we’re reflecting on GoodWeave's growth, and some of the biggest moments of 2023. Your ongoing support makes these achievements possible!

1. We begin on January 1st marking an extra special occasion at Hamro Ghar, GoodWeave’s transit home for former child laborers in Nepal. Many of the children do not know their actual birthday, so Nepal GoodWeave Foundation holds a Common Birthday celebration each year to recognize them all. Nearly 100 people participated in this year’s festivities where children danced, sang, shared poems and demonstrated martial arts. And of course, there were gifts and cake!

Photo credit: Nepal GoodWeave Foundation

2. We continued expanding our work into the Bangladeshi ready-made garment sector through research and supply chain projects funded by the Fund against Child Labor (FBK), part of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and the UK’s Home Office Modern Slavery Innovation Fund. Our goals are to establish pioneering, evidence-based research on the presence, risk and root cause of child and forced labor, especially among informal garment workers, as well as to implement pilot avenues to improve conditions of work. Our partners include the Bangladesh Labor Foundation, Awaj Foundation, the Rights Lab at Nottingham University, and participating apparel companies.

3. This year we were thrilled to learn that Kanchan (left) and Sumitra (right) from Nepal were accepted into a German study-abroad program to continue their studies beyond high school. As child labor survivors, they have come a long way to build the confidence and academic achievements to get here, all with GoodWeave’s support, and now they are soaring to new heights.

Photo credit: Nikki Thapa

4. In June we hosted a virtual event in honor of World Day Against Child Labor, bringing together business and NGO leaders for an enlightening roundtable conversation. We discussed successful approaches to eliminate child labor in global supply chains and heard stories of impact from the field. The discussion also brought to the forefront several important trends taking place related to human rights and business including, the close intertwining of child labor and other humanitarian emergencies like climate change, and how due diligence laws are on the rise.

5. In July, we welcomed two exceptional new leaders to our board of directors, Shilpa Nadhan and Shamarukh Mohiuddin. These key additions strengthen organizational expertise in South Asia and other regions of the world where child and forced labor are prevalent, as well as on issues related to GoodWeave's mission such as human migration and trafficking, labor rights, women’s empowerment, supply chains, ESG, social impact and international development.

6. 2023 marked significant growth for GoodWeave® certified products, as we partnered with 16 new import and retail companies in six countries, for a total of over 200 importer licensees in 22 countries. These new partnerships help us build a marketplace where child and worker rights are respected. We extend our deepest gratitude to all of our importer and exporter licensees for their commitment to our vision of a world free of child labor.

7. One of our most significant moments this year was welcoming Jon Jacoby as our new CEO on Sept. 1st. Jon takes the reins from Nina Smith, GoodWeave’s founding CEO, who led the organization for the past 24 years. Jon brings to significant expertise in responsible business, workers’ and human rights, and inclusive development, all areas central to the organization’s holistic approach to stopping child labor.

8. In October, GoodWeave served as an official sustainability partner for Decorex 2023, a major interior design exhibition held in London. With over 230 exhibitors and 13,200+ visitors, the event provided an exceptional platform to educate the interior design sector about the benefits of sourcing GoodWeave certified products. Sonny Puryear, GoodWeave’s Director, Business Engagement and Marketing, participated in a Decorex Design Talks series panel, “Sustainability Accreditations: Making It Easier to Understand the Jargon.”

9. Our 9th top moment is a testament to the impact GoodWeave’s work is having in vulnerable worker communities in South Asia. We were pleased to learn that a primary school located in a GoodWeave-supported Child Friendly Community in Uttar Pradesh, India, won an award for the top enrollment and retention across Mirzapur District for the 2022-2023 school year. The school principal credits GoodWeave’s community-based team for helping to achieve these results.  

Photo credit: GoodWeave International

10. Ending the year and our countdown on a high note, in November GoodWeave’s film “Hem Moktan: He Made It” was selected and screened during the United Nations Business and Human Rights Forum in Geneva, the world’s largest annual gathering on business and human rights. Featuring Hem Moktan, a former child laborer and now Child Development Officer at Nepal GoodWeave Foundation, the film emphasizes how deep supply chain mapping and monitoring uncovers hidden child labor, and the importance of accessible remedies and survivor leadership. The screening was followed by a lively Q&A hosted by GoodWeave’s Senior Director for Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy, Silvia Mera.

These are just the top ten moments from our year. And they’re part of a much longer list that represents the progress and freedom you make possible because of your support. 

Sincerely,

Jon Jacoby

CEO

GoodWeave International