By Michelle Martin
Jessica Honegger needed to raise money to adopt her son from Rwanda. After visiting American friends living in Uganda, she was introduced to a couple named Jalia and Daniel who created beautiful handmade goods like bags, scarves and jewelry. The sale of these stylish items were keeping them afloat week after week, but they lacked a stable, global marketplace.
Honegger saw a solution to both of their problems. She would have a fundraiser to support the adoption of her son, while simultaneously generating revenue for Jalia and Daniel. What she didn’t know at the time is that people would fall in love with the goods and propel her to launch a company from that initial adoption fundraiser.
Her company, Noonday Collection, economically empowers over 4,000 artisans all over the world by giving them work and creating a global market for their products. At its core, Noonday believes style can change the world. They believe that investing in women’s economic empowerment impacts an entire community. For that reason, they partner with Artisan Businesses to create opportunities for women who are vulnerable, empowering them to earn a sustainable income and become leaders in their communities.
Honegger has successfully created a global sisterhood of women who are working together to economically empower each other. The business model enables the employment of global artisan partners as well as thousands of Ambassadors who are selling the products here in the U.S. as well.
