NightLight Designs

When I was in Thailand in June, I had the privlege of spending some time with NightLight Designs. NightLight is an international organization committed to addressing the complex issues surrounding trafficking and prostitution by catalyzing individual and community transformation. NightLight’s vision is to offer intervention to sexually exploited women and children, to enable them to discover their dignity, and to provide a program of holistic transformation, empowering them to live and work in their community.

Sandra is an incredible person who showed me around NightLight and explained how jewelry making changes the lives of women who are former prostitutes. I asked her a few questions about NightLight, and you can read her answers below.

How many women are employed by Nightlight Designs, and what are their hours and wages like?

NightLight employees approximately 80 women and 10 Thai Staff. The women salaries average around 6500 baht ($216 USD) per month (raises and incentives are available) They work Monday - Friday 9-5 however, 9-10 is worship, 12-1 is lunch, and there are classes; piano, guitar, voice, English, photography, bible studie, and team building offered throughout the day as well.

The women that you employ are former prostitutes. What factors play into them going into the sex trade?

There are cultural and poverty factors. The women mostly come from the region of Isaan, which is the poorest region in Thailand. The cost of sending children to high school can be prohibitive for families and therefore they need their children to quit school and work. Because Isaan is mostly a region of rice farming, there aren't adequate opportunities for girls to work and they end up coming to the city to find employment. Culuturally women are resonsible for their parents care until they die and are obligated to provide. Once they come to the city they realize with only a grade 6 or grade 9 education they can't get a good job and end up working in a bar, which also pays a higher salary, making life better for their families (they send a large amount of their salary to their parents)

Do you have a particular story that stands out, that you wouldn’t mind sharing with us, regarding the transformation Nightlight Designs has made in the lives of Thai women?

I recommend you go to this site http://www.xpmedia.com/?s=Bangkok or one story in particular http://www.xpmedia.com/geSepQEH4KlT and you can hear a first hand testimony of some of our women which is translated in English.
Watch the video.

As North Americans, what role can we play in discouraging prostitution in Asia?

Raise awareness in your local community, educate boys and men about what coming to Asia for the sex industry does to women. Be an advocate for women in general in your own nation. Be a part of an organization that is fighting human trafficking.

Is Nightlight jewellery fair trade? What does fair trade mean to the women of Thailand and how does it help their quality of life? I will get back to you about this question.
We aren't fair trade, (fees involved to be fair trade etc) but our workers are protected, paid fairly and are treated with great love and respect.



NightLight is an incredible organization, and a good example of a fair trade business, even though they do not have the funds to be certified fair trade. Seeing firsthand the happiness of the women and the fantastic conditions in which they were working proved to me how strong and successful NightLight is. Go to the website and purchase jewelry, and know that with every purchase a women is being lifted from poverty and exploitation.