What it is all about...

You may or may not know this, but Red Earth Trading Co. is not all about great jewelry.  It is about so much more!  It is about real people with real lives and helping in a real way.

In brief, RETCo. exists to help sustain an organization called Global Support Mission that works with local organizations, called Network Affiliates, in developing countries.  Inside Global Support Mission exists a a program called Know.Think.Act.  Know.Think.Act. allows people to get involved and raise money for actual needs in the organizations we support.  So like I said, it is not all about great jewelry.
 

My name is Katie Sasser and I not only work for RETCo., but I also work for Global Support Mission (GSM).  My husband and I live in Uganda, Africa working with one of our Network Affiliate's called Bringing Hope to the Family.  So, from time to time I will post a blog that talks about what is going on over here, and how buying jewelry is changing the world one community, one family, one person at a time.

Recently, we finished a well in a village called Kariruga located in Western Uganda in the Katooke district. This money for this well was raised on www.knowthinkact.com.  It was just people sharing the vision and wanting to give.  This well supplies clean water to 29 families that can sleep better at night knowing that they do not have to worry about diseases due to unclean water.

stay adventurous

-katie
Team RETCo.

If you are interested in learning more please visit www.globalsupportmission.com and www.knowthinkact.com 

Video: This is Love Banquet

Check out our newest video from AJ. This was such an amazing night and a great success for GSM and RETCo.

This is Love Banquet - 2011 from Global Support Mission on Vimeo.

If you didn't make it out, we hope to see you next year.

Have a great weekend!

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Know.Think.Act

Know.Think.Act, another GSM program, is an online community that lists specific needs in Africa and allows you to pick a project and raise money for it. These projects include everything from mosquito nets and building wells, to HIV treatment and transportation. You raise the money, and locals carry out the change. 100% of the money raised goes towards the project you choose, and you get to see the progress.

Yes, 100% of the money goes toward the projects. Know.Think.Act is able to do that because of us (this is where part of RETCo's profits go) and GSM Legacy Partners (people and businesses that support GSM's operations).



Moses' Story from Global Support Mission on Vimeo.

That's just one of the many stories that we've been able to be a part of through Know.Think.Act. If you want to hear more stories, click here.

Remember, every time you make a purchase from Red Earth, you're not only supporting local businesses in Africa, you're also helping kids like Moses.

If you'd like more information on becoming a Legacy Partner, email info@globalsupportmission.com

Team RETCo

How Red Earth Got Its Name.

Back in March of 2010, a few of us grabbed some coffee and sat down for a morning of brainstorming.  Our goal was to come up with a name for the direct trade branch of Global Support Mission, what we now lovingly call Red Earth Trading Co. 

Basically, it was "anything goes." Whatever idea came to mind, we wrote it up on the office white board, shown below. If you look closely, you can actually see at the top, towards the left, where "Red Earth" was written.

We didn't walk out of the office that day settled on the name.  In fact, we still had no clue what to call the company.  A few weeks later we left for Uganda still thinking it over.

A few weeks into the trip, the name Red Earth resurfaced.  Uganda's dirt roads and foot paths are so beautiful.  The deep red dirt and clay is in such wonderful contrast with the saturated green vegetation and crisp blue skys.  Everything started here, and it only made sense to give the company a name that reminds us of that... that reminds us of those who walk those roads and trails every day.

-Team RETCo.

Hey, I'm Edwin

Hey, I'm Edwin and I am the latest addition to Red Earth Trading Co. Being the new guy means that I am here to help with almost every aspect of the organization.

My Red Earth story starts three years ago. After being a full time touring musician for four years, I suddenly found myself without a band and without direction. I decided to spend some time traveling to try to find the path that God had for me. During my travels I met many new people and also became somewhat enamored with the South, particularly with Nashville, TN. One of the people I met was Kerbi, so when I decided to relocate to Nashville from California we became friends.

It didn't take to long for the music industry to pull me back in and I start touring again soon after. Although I did enjoy what I was doing, I found myself once again looking to do something that had more purpose. I went to an event and saw how much dedication Kerbi had to Red Earth, so I decided to find out more about it. All I had to do was sit down once with Travis to know that this was what I had been looking for. Needless to say, God will open doors if you ask him to.

I am very excited and look forward to what God has in store for all of us here at Red Earth Trading Co.


Edwin

Hey, I'm Brady

Hey!  My name is Brady and I'm in charge of pretty much anything media related around here…  My involvement with Global Support Mission (and later Red Earth Trading Co.) began in the winter of 2006.  I was in college and was roommates with Travis Gravette when he told me of an upcoming trip he was planning to Uganda.  So after thinking and praying about it, I decided to tag along.  

At the time I was studying recording engineering outside of Nashville and I was trying to figure out how I could make myself useful and how I could use my talents to further the work of GSM.  Since I naturally gravitate towards all things media, filming ended up being a perfect fit.  So a couple months before we left for Uganda, we bought a camera.  Having rarely even held a video camera before, I started messing around and making short videos around town.  As terrible as most of them were(and trust me, they were terrible…), it gave me a chance to get more familiar with filming and we ended up with over 30 hours of footage from that first trip.  From that point, I was hooked.  

After that first trip, I decided that working for GSM was what I wanted to do full time and over the next three years I  worked towards that goal.  During that time I spent tons of time teaching myself video editing, animation, graphic design and web development.  By early 2010 I was able to stop working side jobs just to scrape by and this allowed me to put all of my energy and efforts towards Global Support.  

Later that year, we created a "Direct-Trade" company called Red Earth Trading Co.  It was something that was birthed naturally from GSM, through the relationships we built and the needs we saw on the ground.  

The way we've set up our operations at RETCo is truly awesome!   Through our sales, we are able to pour 100% of our income back into Global Support and therefore back into the communities that we work in.  This creates a sustainability piece for not only the communities we work in, but also for GSM as a non-profit.  In turn, this allows us to put an even greater amount of our donor's gifts directly towards pressing needs!

All in all, the past few years have been an incredible adventure.  I never could have imagined how difficult it would be, but the challenges pale in comparison to the joy of seeing lives saved and communities transformed!  I can't wait to see where the coming months and years take us!

Brady

You can view our latest RETCo video here.