Writing Sample #3

Brand information insert for MERSiO travel goods.

Partner: Dignity Returns

Your Purchase Makes a Difference

Every trip you take contributes to your story. Each MERSiO product has its own story too, it begins with the man or woman who created it. At MERSiO, we choose our partners based on their values, their skills, and their dedication to crafting quality products in a sustainable, equitable way.

Dignity Returns:

Dignity Returns is a cooperative created by former employees of a garment factory that created sporting goods for several well-known brands. The factory also created a living nightmare for its workers. They were forced to work up to 60 continuous hours by the management, who gave them pills to make them stay awake. Further human rights violations included physical abuse and fines for things like eating or yawning. The factory closed its doors and moved its operations to neighboring Myanmar, leavings its Thai employees uncompensated for much of their work.

The workers set up shop in front of the Thai Ministry of Labour, demanding their rights by holding demonstrations, they even sewed banners on-site with the slogan “Dignity is not for sale”. After several months of protests, they were able to recover some of the compensation owed to them. They kept the momentum going and went on to create their own sweat-free clothing cooperative. They are now fully autonomous, from product design to manufacturing, and they still operate under the motto “Dignity is not for sale”. Dignity Returns now produces unique garments for MERSiO, under conditions free of slave labor.

Meet Manop:

When we met Manop, it was like love at first sight. This young man has the natural kindness and permanent smile on his face that anyone who has traveled in South East Asia has likely encountered. Not only is he warm and sincere, he has an incredible entrepreneurial spirit.

The moment we met this craftsman, we knew we had to collaborate with him and his team. Manop is truly a master of his trade. He handles everything related to production planning, business development, and representation for his cooperative. Manop is passionate about creating positive social change for his community and creating a sustainable life for his family.