The call for help reached Not For Sale Vietnam's partner Blue Dragon early last year. It was gut-wrenching. In the remote hills of Bac Kan province in northern Vietnam, a sexual assault had been reported to the police. The victim, Xi, was a 7 year-old girl and the...
Conscious Coffee Project: Connecting Students to Ethical Brews
Globally consumed at the rate of two billion cups a day, coffee is the world’s second most traded commodity. The market pressures that result from this high demand can push producers to commit labor rights abuses as severe as human trafficking. This is a concern especially in regions affected by poverty, where vulnerable communities are more susceptible to exploitation. In order to minimize human rights violations within this industry, it is up to us, the consumers, to demand products that hail from a fair, transparent supply chain. We have the power and responsibility to hold enterprises accountable and call for a shift in labor practices.
That’s why I’m leading the Conscious Coffee Project. Sponsored by the Anti-Trafficking Coalition at Berkeley, Conscious Coffee is an effort to foster a supportive network of cafes near the UC Berkeley campus that sell ethically sourced coffee. We will feature this network on a website and app geared toward students, both of which will serve as informational tools while operating through a financial incentive– users who frequently shop within the network can earn rewards like a free cup of coffee from their favorite cafe
There is a perception that products with labels like Organic or Fair Trade are too expensive for the general population to afford, let alone college students who are scrambling just to afford Bay Area housing costs and overpriced textbooks. If the goal of ethically sourced products is to empower economically marginalized populations, shouldn’t they be accessible to consumers who also struggle financially? This irony inspired me to add the rewards system portion of the app. Not only do I want to provide Cal students with the information they need to make conscientious consumption choices, I want to give them the financial resources to make these choices viable.
Because human trafficking is such a huge, complex phenomenon, it can be difficult to figure out how to work toward its eradication in a meaningful way. My internship at Not For Sale this semester has taught me that it is not enough to throw money at a cause, trying to fix the problem after the damage has already been done. We must seek innovative solutions to prevent vulnerability to exploitative situations from taking root in the first place. As consumers and changemakers, our voices and minds are integral to the abolition movement. Together, through entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology, let’s stand up for our values and make a sustainable impact!
Child v. Child
From Street Kid to CEO
I met Vi on the streets of the city in a chance encounter one Sunday afternoon. He was walking along an alley, shoe-shine kit in hand, as I walked in the other direction. I could see the anticipation in his eyes as he plucked up the courage to practice on me the only...
Love Finds A Way
Mảy didn’t fit the typical profile of a victim of human trafficking. Happily married and with an infant son, Mảy was excited about the future. She and her husband, Sinh, lived in a small town high up in the spectacular mountains of northern Vietnam. Many families...
Dirty Word
Phuong had to pretend that she was sleeping. Every second was more terrifying than the last. She had a chance to call for help, but everything depended on the family being asleep. She had to act in complete secrecy. The risk of being caught was high. The consequences...
Long is Not For Sale
Long was born in 2004. His father died when he was young and his mother remarried. His stepfather was a violent man, often beating Long and his mother and smashing furniture. Long ran away from home and lived on the streets for several years. When NFS Vietnam partners...
Impossible
We thought that Lan was dead. Her last call to the Blue Dragon Rescue Team late one night in March 2020 delivered a chilling message. Please say sorry to my family. Tell them I love them, but death would be better than one more day of this. Lan was 26. She had been...
