GoodWeave

Schools and Opportunities

GoodWeave has freed more than 3,600 children from weaving looms, providing each with the educational and other opportunities needed to embark on a new path in life. After being reunited with their families whenever possible, rescued children—most of whom have never seen the inside of a classroom—are offered a fully sponsored education through grade 10 or the age of 18, whichever comes first.

GoodWeave matches each rescued child with an educational program, depending on whether they need to be close to home or at a boarding school. Children start with intensive literacy and math training to prepare them for formal education, which includes language training, social studies, math and science. Children also enjoy recreational activities and extracurricular pursuits in music and art.

GoodWeave-affiliated schools encourage high academic standards, and every effort is made to help children continue their education through high school. At the age of 14, children can also choose to enter a vocational training program to learn locally marketable skills, such as auto and motorcycle repair, tailoring and electrical wiring.

In addition to child rescue and rehabilitation, GoodWeave programs facilitate the prevention of child labor and the healthy development of weaving communities. These include daycare and early childhood education, school sponsorship for children of adult weavers, adult literacy programs and health clinics.

This holistic approach allows GoodWeave to reach whole communities, from the owners and weavers at the factories, to the factory inspectors who see both the horrors of child labor and the importance of rescuing the children, to the teachers and volunteers involved in the programs. GoodWeav e’s new standard, currently in development, will broaden this community-based approach to include environmental issues and working environments for adults.

Your support makes it all possible. Over 9,000 children have received schooling and/or rehabilitation as of 2008, funded entirely through donations to GoodWeave and the certification and sale of GoodWeave rugs. For an unforgettable look at the childhoods that have been restored by GoodWeave's efforts, visit the Faces of Freedom website.