This shopping bag benefits people all around the world. Sewn by women we know in Sri Lanka and imprinted by a worker-owned coop in Madison, it represents the personal contributions of individuals who want to help create a better life for their neighbors and future generations. The idea is that people at each step can be part of something that benefits others besides themselves. Sewing this bag enabled Ramya Elawalla to triple her income within a year, from less than $1.50 per day. It helped her avoid a daily commute of six hours on a hot, crowded train. She has now hired five other women. This enterprise has changed their lives. One woman is now building a house for six members of her family. Sales help promote non-profit community, food and education efforts in the U.S., too. This idea originally came from Sarvodaya*, a village-based self-help movement. It’s a way for us to promote “buying local” through people and businesses we know personally, both here and abroad. Thanks for being a part of this effort. *Sarvodaya means “the sharing for the awakening and welfare of all.” Mahatma Gandhi coined the word. To learn more about Sarvodaya and how it can apply to each of us, see: www.sarvodayausa.org To find out about the causes that Story in the Bag supports, see www.wiscpsa.org and www.danebuylocal.com. With Story In the Bag begins with helping 2 communities, women in Sri Lanka and Madison, while improving environmental conditions around the world. We hope that as the business expands the number of communities that are affected increases on a global scale.

Story in the Bag - Story in the Bag is a non-profit women’s empowerment and business education project with several goals: • To help impoverished women in Sri Lanka earn a living and have a better quality of life. • To promote environmental awareness and action. • To support non-profit community causes. • To demonstrate the value of connecting diverse groups of people in a personal way for the common good. Based on the sales of reuseable canvas tote bags sewn by several Sri Lankan women as their primary means of income, this project is designed to benefit many different levels of stakeholders. From Sri Lanka the bags are shipped to the United States where they are sold to nonprofits and community businesses, and imprinted with educational messages. They have proven to be an effective fundraising tool if they are sold for a retail price of $10. The income made by these sales will go to further support Story in the Bag and female entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. As our business grows we hope to expand our outreach to larger populations in Sri Lanka through the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement USA as well as student and community groups. What We Sell In a small town in Sri Lanka three to six women gather every day to sew canvas bags. The bags may be ordered plain or with a design screen printed on the front. We have an agreement with a Madison local printing company, Wildwood Productions, to store and print bags as needed. After the design is printed the bags are stuffed with the story of an individual who is effected daily by the purchase of the canvas bags . In the future we plan to expand our product line. Currently, we are planning to sell various teas from Sri Lanka. Our goals would remain as we would continue to support entrepreneurs around the world. Plans and Deadlines: The deadlines we have set are to assure progress with constructing and running the Story in the Bag Project. We will gather a board of ten members and hold a first official board meeting by the 1st of August. Board members must be 25 years of age or younger who are voluntarily willing to create and maintain The Story in the Bag Project. As of the 1st of July we have generated a list of students from across the globe who are enthusiastic entrepreneurs ready to undertake this project. At our first board meeting the mission statement and business plan for Story in the Bag will be finalized. Our board of advisors will be constructed by the 31st of August. Rick Brooks, Outreach Program Manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has acted as our advisor in the initial steps of business planning and sales. Our intention is to have five advisors from across the globe to act as our aides in business planning and operations. Another prospect for advisor is Shisir Khanal, Executive Director of Sarvodaya USA As our organization expands we hope to grow and learn from a diverse advisory board. The Story in the Bag website will be completed by August 31st. Our goals for the website are to design a visually stimulating and simple site with straightforward information about our business and products. The website will be fully functioning by mid-August, including an online payment system. Construction of the website has already begun as we work to towards full capacity. As a business, Story in Bag’s goal is to be completely honest with its customers. The “Where Your Money Goes” application found on www.storyinthebag.com will visually show purchasers where each cent of their purchase goes, from labor costs supporting individuals in Sri Lanka and operational expenses here to causes in the U.S. and other countries. We want people to know the story of this enterprise—who it benefits, how and why. Marketing: Our marketing plan is constructed around two main strategies. The first is to use personal stories, found in each canvas bag, from various women in Sri Lanka and others. The stories are intended to inspire the individual who uses the bag.. As our bags spread, the stories spread too, and awareness of the conditions in developing countries. In today’s marketplace, consumerism has begun to embrace green products and services. The importance of community development and global awareness has developed into an increase of conscious communities throughout the United States. In Madison, for example, the organization Dane Buy Local has over 300 dedicated entrepreneurs supporting local products and businesses. Wisconsin Partners for SustainAbility, the host organization for Dane Buy Local, has agreed to serve as fiscal agent for Story in the Bag. We have faith in this growing movement as we move towards a more globally aware society, want to partner with other such groups as well. Our second marketing strategy is to stress using canvas bags over plastic bags to help improve environmental conditions. Continued use of non-biodegradable plastics and paper shopping bags is now being recognized as a major pollution problem which has taken a serious toll on the earth’s land and atmosphere. As awareness for this issue grows, more individuals are making an effort to use less plastic in their daily lives. Reducing the use of plastic bags can made easier with reusable canvas bags. This new-found environmental awareness has opened our business to a much larger market. Many grocery stores and small businesses have already expressed their interest in purchasing larger numbers of Story in the Bag’s products. That is why we seeking a Plum grant. With this grant we are looking to progress with Story In the Bag’s initial steps of operation. The money will be used to support the foundation of a business that will help entrepreneurs around the globe, particularly poor women and young people, while raising public awareness. A year from now we would like to report back to you that a $500 Plum grant has generated thousands of dollars for people in need—not for us, but for them—and a model that can be replicated by other youth entrepreneurs.

In the initial steps of creating The Story In the Bag it was important to make the connection with women in Sri Lanka. While traveling with Sarvodaya USA, Rick Brooks, a member of our advisory board went to Sri Lanka and met with a women struggling to sustain an income with a sewing factory. After the trip Story In The Bag placed orders to this small factory for hand sewn canvas bags. The money was sent through a wire transfer and 1,000 bags were sent to Wildwood Production, a local printing company, till ordered. After the first order was shipped successfully from Sri Lanka Story In The Bag began to network in the Dane County Area. We have gained non-profit status through the organization, Sustainability. Currently the women in Sri Lanka receive payments on a regular basis and Ramya has begun to build her first home while 4 women in Sri Lanka have steady icomes during a time of economic struggle.

Individuals from all over the world can help by just spreading the word. About Story In the Bag. As the message of our work expands the larger our business can grow and improve the lives of thousands around the world. Story In The Bag is a business dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs while improving the well-being of individuals from across the globe.