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While you are reading this… A few unfair statistics

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Our comfortable little lives tend to distance us from the atrocities that are happening every day in the world. Most of us carry our days without thinking much about what other people might be going through. Occasionally, we might stand up for a cause, give a little donation, do a little good and help someone in need. And don’t get us wrong, that is great. But have we ever stopped and really thought about what’s going on in this very moment around the world? Here’s a few facts that might shock you. We don’t promise that what you’re about to read will keep you comfortable, but we just hope that it will spark a little something within you.

While you are reading this,

– 827.5 million people around the world are starving and don’t have enough food to live a healthy life.

– 300,000 children are battling cancer yearly.

– 849.8 million people are thirsty and lack access to clean drinkable water and sanitation.

– 263 million children worldwide are out of school and do not have an education.

– 65 million people are separated from their families and displaced from their homes due to wars.

– 40 million humans around the world are living as modern slaves.

– 100 million people are literally homeless and don’t have a roof over their heads.

– 3.5 billion people still do not have access to the internet.

Now you can pretend you didn’t read that and carry on with your day as usual, or you can do something about it. Just because something is happening far away from us, doesn’t mean that it’s not happening at all and that we can’t do anything to change it. Those statistics are simply unacceptable in today’s world and it is up to us to make a difference and take a step towards a better world for the sake of humanity. All it takes is to have a Dulce heart and spread it as far as possible until we can all live in a complete world one day.

Sources:

http://www.fao.org/state-of-food-security-nutrition/en/

http://www.worldometers.info/

https://www.acco.org/global-childhood-cancer-statistics/

https://en.unesco.org/news/one-every-five-children-adolescents-and-youth-out-school-worldwide

https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/forced-to-flee-how-many-refugees-in-the-world

http://www.theweek.co.uk/91246/davos-2018-how-big-a-problem-is-modern-day-slavery

https://homelessworldcup.org/homelessness-statistics/

https://wearesocial.com/us/blog/2018/01/global-digital-report-2018

The Beauty of Having a Dulce Heart

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If you want to change the world, it always starts with a ‘Dulce Heart’. But what does that really mean? Inspired by little Dulce and the goodness her name is spreading to the world, having a ‘Dulce Heart’ is much more than an expression we like to throw around, it’s a way of life and a calling for all of us to follow this little girl’s lead for a chance at a more fair and equal world. Simply, having a ‘Dulce Heart’ means:

  • Caring for the things that happen outside our comfort zone and in different parts of the world.
  • Not just dreaming of a better world, but taking a step each day to make this world better.
  • Caring about the planet and the environment and doing our best not to harm it.
  • Reaching out a helping hand to the ones in need and giving back to humankind.
  • Being kind to animals, respecting the wildlife and refusing any products that cost the lives of animals.
  • Giving hope to children who don’t have much to hope for.
  • Standing up for the causes we believe in and letting our voices be heard.
  • Finding a deeper connection with nature.
  • Showing kindness and compassion, and letting love lead the way.
  • Dressing ethically and caring about who made our clothes.
  • Making purchases with a purpose and opting for sustainable and fair trade products.
  • Empowering women, local farmers, artists, craftsmanship, local and sustainable businesses through the products that we choose.
  • Fighting against child labor and forced labor.
  • Not turning the blind eye or looking the other way.
  • Standing up for equal rights for all.
  • Understanding how our actions impact the world, knowing that we are able to make a difference and leaving a positive social impact wherever we go.
  • Being thankful and being content with what we have.
  • Volunteering, donating and raising awareness.
  • Creating good and sustainable daily habits.
  • Being a voice for those who can’t be heard.
  • Saving water and preserving our oceans.
  • Helping more people gain access to medical facilities, safe water and food supplies.
  • Setting an example for others to follow and inspiring others to join the revolution.
  • Not settling for an average world, fighting for change and being the change we want to see in the world.

So have a Dulce heart, spread love wherever you go and join the revolution to make this world better and fairer.

Industries Still Using Forced Labor

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As an ethical clothing brand, we at Dulce Salerno make sure to never use any material that was produced using child or forced labor. It doesn’t just sound like the right thing to do, but more like the natural thing to do. In fact, in this time and age, it’s just absurd that forced labor still exists. But the sad truth is that it does still very much exist, in more industries than we can imagine, in common products that we use on a daily basis and by big international companies that make huge profits at the expense of workers. Even when a company does not directly use forced labor, a lot of times the materials it sources was produced using forced labor.

We thought we’d therefore shed some light on some of the industries that still employ forced labor and what you can do to not encourage it.

 

The Fashion and Textiles Industry

It’s only fitting that we start with fashion since this is the industry we are part of and that we are trying to change. Rarely does Fast Fashion and Good Working Conditions go hand in hand together. Too often, a worker was paid close to nothing to achieve that low price tag. And it’s not just the cheap fashion brands that are guilty of the same. Those expensive sports shoes? Made by the tiny hands of a child. Ever bought a t-shirt with smart captions such as “Girl Power” or “Wonder Woman”? A powerless woman was forced to make them. The list goes on but we’ll stop here since you probably get the idea.

How to stop it: Shop ethical brands, switch to slow fashion and encourage handmade fashion. Be vocal: in today’s social media world, it is more difficult for companies to hide scandals or not cave into pressure from their customers. Demand transparency, ask who made your clothes, start a revolution!

 

The Cotton Industry

Speaking of fashion, one of the most common material used in the fashion industry is cotton and as you might have guessed, the harvesting of cotton isn’t done in the most ethical of ways! While forced labor is used in the production of cotton in numerous countries, the most shocking of working conditions come from Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, where the government coerces their own citizens to make huge profits out of cotton exports. The government owns most of the lands and leases it to farmers who are forced to harvest a huge cotton production quota. The state then maintains a monopoly of the cotton, buying all the cotton at a price much lower than production cost and reselling all of it without distributing any of the profits. We bet those soft cotton sheets you’re sleeping on don’t feel so soft anymore after reading this.

How to stop it: Switch to organic and ethically sourced cotton, it’s also more eco-friendly and saves tons of water.

 

The Chocolate Industry

Chocolate is often known as a guilty pleasure because of all the calories that come with it. But if we knew the cruel working conditions that came with the making of chocolate, we’d feel even more guilty. Most confectionary companies buy their chocolate from the same source on the Ivory Coast, where forced labor, mostly by children, is used to harvest cocoa. Most of time, the working force constitutes of children that are abducted from poor countries and even sometimes sold to the industry by their poor parents.

How to stop it: We’d say stop eating chocolate, but anyone who’s ever been on a diet knows that it’s not that easy. Instead, do your research and find out which chocolate companies are guilty of using forced labor and boycott their product and demand change. That might mean you’ll have to give up your favorite chocolate bars but it’s also an opportunity to discover other delicious fair trade chocolate.

 

The Coffee Industry

It’s hard to start any morning without coffee. It’s even harder to get through Mondays without a few extra cups of coffee. Sanity is often preserved thanks to coffee. But sometimes, it’s all at the expense of slave work and families struggling to survive.  As coffee is a commodity, farmers’ living conditions depend heavily on the current market price and demands of coffee. When demand is low and work is slow, farmers do not make enough money to sustain their families. But when demand is high, the high coffee prices are incentives for farmers to harvest as much coffee as possible and even pull out their kids from school to work for long hours in the crops. In certain coffee-producing regions, powerful elites own large plantations where forced labor is used for very long working hours and with hazardous and often illegal working conditions. During peak demand periods, women and children are recruited and paid way below the male workers.

How to stop it: Read the certifications on coffee brands and opt for ethical sourcing. Organic coffee is produced without fertilizers and pesticides so workers are not subjected to all the chemicals. Fair trade coffee is even better because it ensures fair wage to the workers, regardless of the coffee market price.

 

The Tea Industry

If you just read the above and decided to drop coffee and switch to tea instead, we’re afraid we don’t have better news for you. The working conditions in the tea plantation are pretty similar to the coffee industry with child and forced labor in full use. Exhaustion, hazardous conditions, wage theft or even no wages at all, extremely long hours, lack of access to drinking water and in some cases sexual abuse are some of what workers in tea plantation are subject to.

How to stop it: Just like coffee, be a smart consumer and read the certifications on tea brands and opt for ethical sourcing, organic tea and fair trade tea.

 

The Tobacco Industry

We all know by now that smoking is detrimental to our health and to the health of the people we’re smoking next to. But here’s something we haven’t given much thought to: the real victims of smoking are the people working in the tobacco industry, too often in slave-like conditions. Harvesting tobacco requires a lot of seeds, pesticides and fertilizers which are costs that need to be absorbed by the farmers. The tobacco industry takes advantage of the high farming cost by selling the material needed to the farmers on loan, trapping them in a cycle of debt. Workers receive sub-poverty wages for their work, are subjected to long and exhausting work hours without access to clean drinking water or restroom facilities, and face the risk of nicotine poisoning. To be able to meet their tobacco quota, farmers must often resort to the help of their families to harvest the crop without any paid labor. This often requires children to pull out of school, which not only affects their education and future but also their health. Common side effects for children in tobacco fields include increase in hunger and stunted growth.

How to stop it: If you ever needed a new excuse to quit smoking, you’ve got one now. Save your life and the lives of the people working in the tobacco industry and quit smoking today!

 

The Makeup Industry

What if we told you that the glitter you wear on your face is actually made up of little children’s blood, sweat and tears? To add shimmer to beauty products such as lipsticks, eye shadows, foundations and blush, a mineral called Mica is used. Now the problem comes from the sourcing of Mica, where employers take advantage of children’s small physique for mining this natural mineral. In India, the country with the largest production of Mica, children as young as three are ’employed’ and as a result are exposed to highly toxic chemicals and heavy working duties to extract the Mica minerals.

How to stop it: Demand transparency from the cosmetic brands. Know what’s in your products, what was used and how it was sourced. Some cosmetics companies are sourcing their mica from companies with legal practices or from children friendly villages. Try to opt for brands that are tackling the issue.

 

The Diamonds Industry

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but they’re definitely not an ethical girl’s best friend, especially if sourced unethically.  The diamonds industry, particularly ‘Blood Diamonds‘ (or ‘Conflict Diamonds’), can be the most inhumane and abusive industry. ‘Blood Diamonds’ are the diamonds that are mined in war torn countries in Central and West Africa, usually by slave workers. The industry is controlled by rebels who oppose internationally recognized governments and illegally trade the diamonds in order to fund the cost of war. The ‘Blood Diamonds’ workers are mostly under 30 and include children workers who are preferred for their tiny hands. Working at less than $1 per day for 10-15 hours in extremely unsafe conditions, the workers are exposed to several health risks such as injuries, exhaustion, hernia, malaria  and drowning. And if the health and safety risks weren’t enough, ‘Blood Diamond’ workers are often subjected to physical abuse, sexual abuse and sometimes even murder.

How to stop it: Buy your diamonds from jewelers that are transparent about where they source their diamonds from and that can certify that their diamonds are non-conflict.

 

The Gold Industry

Diamonds isn’t the only material in our jewelry that we should be concerned about. The gold industry may seem shiny on the surface but if you dig deeper, you will find that it is also guilty of having blood on its hands. When you think of mafias and criminal organizations, you probably think of drug trafficking. But what you probably don’t know is that in countries like Columbia and Peru (who, thanks to Hollywood movies, have become almost synonyms with drug trafficking), criminal organizations gain far more profits from labor trafficking and illegal gold mining than from cocaine production. Gangs who run the unregulated mines evade taxes and make huge profits at the expense of workers who are held in slavery, work without contracts or safety gears, are constantly exposed to mercury and accumulate huge debts from having their salaries confiscated.

How to stop it: Make sure you are not buying ‘dirty’ gold by buying only from jewelers that ethically source their gold and who can provide certifications that the gold was fair-mined.

 

The Palm Oil Industry

The palm oil business has already made headlines for its negative effect on the environment, but it should also be making headlines for the abuse of the labor force and violation of human rights. The palm oil industry benefits from the fact that palm oil plantations are hidden in the middle of rural  rainforests, giving them ‘invisibility’ from the rest of the world and therefore allowing them to take advantage of forced labor without being seen. The nature of the work is very physically demanding itself and workers are expected to work for long hours every day in the heat without rest to meet their ridiculously high quota and are often punished for failing to do so or for picking up unripe fruit. Women are paid way below the minimum wage with no health insurance and children often work unpaid hours to help their parents. Health and safety risks involve exposure to toxic chemicals, respiratory damage from rainforest fires, physical pain from operating heavy equipments, bruises and injuries from processing the fruits and risk of falling off the trees.

How to stop it: It’s time for the palm oil plantations to lose their invisibility so that the exploitation of labor workers can be seen by the whole world. Be vocal, raise awareness and pressure the big companies to source their palm oil ethically.

 

The Carpets Industry

We always say handmade is better, but even handmade is not always a guarantee that something was made using fair labor. In India for example, handmade carpets are often weaved by the tiny hands of child labor in merciless working conditions.

How to stop it: Find a trusted rug dealer and buy fair trade and ethically sourced carpets.

 

The Electronic Devices Industry

If you’re reading this, whether through your phone, tablet or laptop, chances are you’re holding in your hands a product that was made using forced labor. The problem with electronic devices and the big companies who make them is not their labor policies, but their sourcing policies. The assembling of your phone or electronic device was probably made using fair labor, but was the material used sourced ethically? We doubt it. The biggest names in high-tech companies source the main components of their products from Malaysia, where migrant workers coming to work in the electronics sector are trapped in a vicious cycle of debt and forced labor. Not only do they earn way below their promised salaries, but they are also forced to pay a huge working fee upon arriving to Malaysia (which often amounts to two years of their salaries) and have their passports confiscated. The electronics companies in Malaysia operate under the radar and there is therefore no minimum wage, no overtime and no inspections. Other materials sourced for electronic devices often include illegally mined metals and gold.

How to stop it: Right now, the best we can do is put pressure on the big high-tech companies to source their material ethically and on governments to impose regulations against the sourcing of electronics made with forced labor.

 

Just because something is happening far away from us in different parts of the world, it doesn’t mean that it’s not happening and it doesn’t mean that we can’t do anything to stop it. As we always say time and time again, change starts within us. So let us be the change and take a step forward in ending forced labor once and for all.

Dulce Salerno: An Ethical Brand with a Deeper Purpose

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If you’re familiar with the Dulce Salerno brand, you probably already know what we do and why we do it. We’re all about ethical fashion, fair trade, supporting the causes we believe in and raising funds for charities. But there is even more to our brand than meets the eye. Dulce Salerno is a symbol of Peace and Hope, and we don’t want to just sell t-shirts and donate to charities. We want to do so much more:

  • We want to inspire and empower the new generation.
  • We want to spread love and kindness.
  • We want you to know that you do hold the power to change and to positively influence the world every day with small daily acts.
  • We want to draw smiles on children’s faces.
  • We want to give a helping hand to those in need and make somebody’s difficult journey a little easier.
  • We want to use art and fashion as a force for good to tell inspiring stories and raise awareness for the causes we support and believe in.
  • We want you to create good habits early on in your children’s lives.
  • We want to take part in a fashion revolution that will hit the world by storm and create a chain of positive actions.
  • We want you to start thinking about who made your clothes.
  • We want to create a conscious community of shoppers.
  • We want to make “doing good” in fashion and “giving back” the new trend.
  • We want you to be kind to our planet, connect with nature and think about the impact your actions have on our environment.
  • We want to build a new generation of change-makers that doesn’t just go with the flow, but stops and thinks, feels, analyzes, questions, refuses, acts and casts a vote.
  • We want to empower artists and craftsmanship, and create beautiful pieces without harming the environment.
  • We want to leave the planet in a better condition for our children.
  • We want to make today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today.
  • We want you not to lose hope.
  • We want to see a world where injustice, poverty, hunger, child labor and modern slavery no longer exist. A world where all children have access to safe water, education and health care facilities.
  • We want to feel pride in what we do and to know that we stood up for what we believe in.
  • We want to do our part in making this world a better place to live in and we want you to join us.

 

With Love,

Dulce.

fashion for ending hunger

The Dulce Salerno Cycle: Sustainability every step of the way

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Dulce Salerno is based on the belief that fashion can be used as a good force to inspire our generation and create awareness for a better tomorrow. We believe that every day, the choices we make have an impact not only on our lives but on the rest of the world as well. One of the very first choices people make every single morning is: What should I wear today? And so we decided that we want to change the world by influencing this one particular choice and creating sustainable and socially responsible fashion that not only looks good, but does good.

This principle is at the core heart of our brand and is reflected in every step of our work cycle, starting from the design creation, to the manufacturing process, and way after the product sale.

Every Dulce piece is designed with a main goal in mind: planting seeds of thoughts for a better tomorrow. We work with passionate artists worldwide who use their talent to draw for a cause and create designs that carry a strong and positive message to inspire the younger generation, adding with each paintbrush a stroke of hope, love, compassion and gratitude.

Our artworks are then executed on organic sourced cotton and bamboo threads that make seamless fabrics for Dulce Salerno. We use only products that are of good quality, eco-friendly, not made by child labor or forced labor in unhealthy and unsafe working conditions. The manufacturing is done under Italian design direction in both Italy and UK, following global organic textile standards as well as fair wear foundation principles, resulting in apparels that comply with the global recycling standards and the low reducing Carbon trust foundations.

The seeds of change are further communicated with real bamboo seeds inserted in each of our t-shirts’ eco-friendly tags to ensure that our products can trace to an ethical and sustainable path back to their origins. One to two of the seeds will grow to become a bamboo tree, and this by its turn will give back to the ecosystem.

Our final products (t-shirts, belts and caps) carry with them powerful messages and inspiring stories that raise awareness for the multiple causes we support. Our collection is sold online and is accessible to all customers worldwide. This is where you step in.

We make the product, you make the difference. When you purchase a Dulce product, you are directly contributing to the causes we support as 100% of our profit is donated to charity. When you purchase our products, you are directly participating in our quest to end world hunger, provide medical facilities to those in need, beat the water crisis, and cure children from cancer.

Your contribution doesn’t stop here. When you wear a Dulce product, you are helping spread our message of love and raise awareness for our causes. More importantly, you are making a choice every day to make this world a better place to live in.

Inside-Blog-Picture

Have a Dulce heart, dress for a cause and help us change the world for the better!

Posted by Dulce Salerno

charitable fashion brand lebanon

The Lebanese Red Cross: Supporting Our Heroes

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What makes a hero? In a world where superhero movies dominate the movie scene and where children idolize fictional superhero characters with fictional superpowers, the true meaning of a hero is often forgotten.

True heroes are often the ones that are unspoken of, the ones who don’t seek recognition, the ones who everyday give to the world and do little acts of kindness and bravery to make this world a little better. Their “superpowers” come from their good heart, and their strength comes from their strong mind.

In Lebanon, there are many national heroes that we do not give enough credit to. Among those heroes are the Lebanese Red Cross. Dedicated and thoroughly trained individuals and volunteers whose everyday mission is to save lives and assist in emergencies.

The Lebanese Red Cross needs no introduction. Since its establishment in 1945, it has been disseminating peace, serving the Lebanese society and alleviating human suffering with neutrality and without any racial, sexual, social, religious or political distinction. Its emergency services span out to all areas in the country, because with the Lebanese Red Cross, every life is worth saving.

At Dulce Salerno, we believe in empowering our heroes and recognizing the positive impact they have on our world. We are proud supporters of the Lebanese Red Cross and their causes, and we believe that we can all contribute to help them do what they do best: saving lives. For that reason, Dulce Salerno is partnering up with the Lebanese Red Cross and whenever you purchase a Dulce Salerno item, you are directly contributing to this cause since a portion of Dulce Salerno’s profits (100% of which is equally and fully divided among all charities supported by Dulce Salerno) will go out to the Lebanese Red Cross.

If you believe in our cause, there are many ways that you can contribute to the Lebanese Red Cross, whether by volunteering, donating, attending fundraising events, etc… You can find out more about how you can help by visiting the Lebanese Red Cross website http://www.redcross.org.lb/. You can directly donate to the Lebanese Red Cross through the following link: http://goo.gl/Fv1rKg

In addition, the following Dulce Salerno t-shirts (available in different styles) are designed specifically for the Lebanese Red Cross and 100% of the profits generated by the sale of these specific items will go fully to the Lebanese Red Cross.

Have a Dulce heart and help us give back to our everyday heroes.

Dulce Salerno "Volunteers" Tee designed especially for the Lebanese Red Cross

Dulce Salerno “Volunteers” Tee designed especially for the Lebanese Red Cross

Posted by Dulce Salerno

Fashion for ending hunger

Farm Africa: Fighting Poverty and Ending Hunger

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We all know how serious poverty and world hunger is. We all know that certain countries suffer more than others. What we probably don’t know though is how many people across the world are affected. In case you’re wondering, that number is nearly a billion people.

It doesn’t just stop here. With growing populations and climate change, food production needs to rise by around 70% over 40 years to meet demand.

For that reason, Dulce Salerno is a proud supporter of Farm Africa.

Established in 1985 by Sir Michael Wood and David Campbell, Farm Africa’s mission is to end hunger and reduce poverty permanently by unleashing African farmers abilities to grow their incomes and manage their natural resources sustainably. Farm Africa believes that Africa has the power to feed itself and therefore works directly with local farmers to help them unleash their potential to feed Africa’s people.

Farm Africa has successfully helped families in Africa efficiently manage their small crops to produce more food from it, generate more business from their livestock, increase fish farming by promoting aquaculture, harvest the forests in a sustainable way, and build resilience to climate change.

Beatrice is one of the women whose life was transformed thanks to the efforts from Farm Africa. Previously surviving on just one meal per day, her crops are now enough to provide her and her family with three good meals a day and generating money by selling the surplus of food left. You can read her story and other success stories on Farm Africa’s website: http://www.farmafrica.org/stories-from-our-work/beatrices-story.

You can join Farm Africa’s battle to end hunger and help other families like Beatrice’s. Visit Farm Africa’s website to find out how you can contribute to Farm Africa’s cause and eliminate hunger: http://goo.gl/JBXjTq

It is also worth noting that whenever you purchase any Dulce Salerno product, you are directly helping Farm Africa in their fight against hunger, as Farm Africa is one of the charities supported by Dulce Salerno. Therefore, a portion of Dulce Salerno’s profits (100% of which is equally and fully divided among all charities supported by Dulce Salerno) will go out to Farm Africa. In addition, the following Dulce Salerno t-shirts (available in different styles) are designed specifically for Farm Africa and 100% of the profits generated by the sale of these specific items will go fully to Farm Africa.

Dulce Salerno’s “Feed the Future” Tee designed especially for Farm Africa

Posted by Dulce Salerno

Water.org: Transforming millions of lives around the world

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Safe and clean water. A most basic and vital human right that we so often take for granted. Well, here is something to think about the next time you take a long shower or bath, or throw away a bottle of water that isn’t empty yet: one in ten people lack access to safe water and, believe it or not, one in three people lack access to a toilet.

Those statistics might sound shocking when you first hear them, but the water crisis is real. The good news is: it is solvable. And the better news is: you can also help.

Dulce Salerno is a proud supporter of Water.org.

663 million people, 1 in 10 lack access to safe water; 2.4 billion people, 1 in 3 lack access to a toilet. Water.org is dedicated to changing this. Through sustainable solutions and financing models such as WaterCredit, we can provide safe water and the dignity of a toilet for all.

Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org pioneers innovative, community-driven and market-based solutions to provide access to safe water and sanitation — giving women hope, children health and communities a future. To date, Water.org has positively transformed millions of lives around the world, ensuring a better life for generations ahead.

Water changes life and a little bit of help can make a huge difference. In fact, every one US dollar invested in water and sanitation provides an economic return of four US dollars. And for only $25, Water.org can bring someone access to safe water.

There are various ways that you can get involved to help water.org beat the water crisis. From making donations, to starting a fundraiser, getting social, taking part in athletic competition, etc… Visit Water.org website to find out more about the water crisis and how you can contribute: http://goo.gl/K1EmCy

It is also worth nothing that whenever you purchase any Dulce Salerno product, you are directly helping people gain access to safe water, as Water.org is one of the charities supported by Dulce Salerno. Therefore, a portion of Dulce Salerno’s profits (100% of which is equally and fully divided among all charities supported by Dulce Salerno) will go out to Water.org. In addition, the following Dulce Salerno t-shirts (available in different styles) are designed specifically for Water.org and 100% of the profits generated by the sale of these specific items will go fully to Water.org.

Dulce Salerno’s “Give Water” Tee designed especially for Water.org

Posted by Dulce Salerno writer Diana Zeidan.

Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon: A world of Hope for our Children

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Imagine a world where hope rules over fear. A world where the health and wellbeing of children is a priority. A world where children are treated equally regardless of their gender, race, religion and without any discrimination. Imagine a world where hospitals do not shut their doors on the poor and where children do not die just because their parents can’t afford their medical bills. Imagine a world filled with kindness, compassion and love, and where people lend a helping hand to help the children in need. A world where smiles can be drawn among struggles and difficult times. A world where terminally ill diseases do not terminate a child’s hope of recovery or chances for a better life or future. Such a world does exist.

At the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon, children from different backgrounds, different regions and different religions all share one thing in common: Hope.

Inaugurated in 2002, the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL), which is affiliated to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (SJCRH) in Memphis, Tennessee, and works in close coordination with the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), has treated over 1000 children with cancer and has provided over 4000 consultations. CCCL’s doors are open to all children diagnosed with cancer, regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, religion or nationality, giving an equal chance to all children to fight their battle against cancer. In addition, parents don’t have to worry about not being able to afford treatment as all children at CCCL are treated at no cost to their parents, providing equal chances to the rich and poor.

With a passionate and professional team committed to its mission of hope and healthy future for the dear children, CCCL has an average cure rate of 80% among its patients.This incredible cure rate is a step closer in realizing Danny Thomas’ dream (founder of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis) that no child should die in the dawn of life.

We can all take part in that dream too.

Being a non-profit organization that covers all costs related to the treatment of their patients within the center, CCCL depends only on donations to be able to carry out its mission. It depends on passionate volunteers who want to make a difference in these children’s lives. It depends on the compassion and generosity of good people who believe in helping others whenever they can. It depends on humanity. It depends on US. On ME. On YOU.

No child deserves to suffer. We cannot prevent cancer from striking our children, but we can help them fight this battle, we can help give them hope, and we can help make this difficult journey a little easier for them.

There are many ways that we can help the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon maintain this world of hope, love, equality and above all health for our children. Visit CCCL’s website to find out how you can make a difference: http://goo.gl/xBggK3 and follow their social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) handle @CCCLebanon. You can also directly donate to the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon through the following link: http://goo.gl/2qTTQO

At Dulce Salerno, we care about our children and we are proud supporters of CCCL and its mission. For that reason, whenever you purchase a Dulce Salerno item, you are directly making a difference in a child’s life and contributing to their fight against cancer, as a portion of Dulce Salerno’s profits (100% of which is equally and fully divided among all charities supported by Dulce Salerno) will go out to CCCL. In addition, the following Dulce Salerno t-shirts (available in different styles) are designed specifically for CCCL and 100% of the profits generated by the sale of these specific items will go fully to CCCL.

Dulce Salerno “Hero” Tee designed especially for CCCL

To the health and future of all children, with love.

Posted by Dulce Salerno

A Special Visit to Birds’ Nest

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“If we are ever to have real peace in this world, we shall have to begin with the children.”

Mahatma Ghandi

Good habits start at a young age

The best way to create a good habit is to plant a seed at a very young age. Some children are born into privileged and healthy homes, while other children are born into more difficult circumstances. It is important to teach our children from a young age to be thankful for what they have; it is important for them to know that not all children have it easy; and it is important to teach them to have compassion and to help those in need whenever possible. When positive habits are installed early on, they stay with us for a lifetime.

The Welcome

The Welcome

A special visit

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Dulce Salerno along with her two older brothers (aged 5 and 3) and her mother headed to the old city of Jbeil (Byblos) to spend a day with the children of Birds’ Nest, an orphanage and school for Armenian children. The purpose of the trip was to visit the children and the school, play and spend time with them and draw a smile on their face. But it was also an important lesson for the children: to interact and play with children from different backgrounds and share their toys with them, and to practice the habit of reaching out a hand to the less fortunate early on in their childhood.

During our visit, we were happy to see that the children at Birds’ Nest are well taken care of. They are sweet, disciplined, smart and social children, and they love to interact with new people. They showed us much affection by running to greet us, smiling and laughing with us, and hugging us goodbye as we were leaving. When you don’t have much in this world, it takes very little to make you smile. And when you don’t have a family of your own, a little love and affection is all you need.

Fun with the kids

Fun with the kids

About Birds’ Nest

Birds’ Nest was founded in 1926 by a Danish missionary, Miss Maria Jacobson who dedicated her life to the Armenian orphans until her death in 1960. Since then, Birds’ Nest is under the jurisdiction and protection of the Catholicosate of Cilicia whose catholicois extend their fatherly blessing and love to the Armenian orphans. Birds’ Nest is Authorized by the Ministry of Education of the Lebanese Government.

Birds’ Nest provides a home for orphaned children and children from families with social problems such as drug addiction, alcoholism, child abuse, mental disorders. It ensures their education, helps in their social and psychological rehabilitation and contributes to their well-being and health development. Birds’ Nest also puts a special emphasis on extra-curricular cultural and sportive activities. The number of student varies between 130-160 depending on the annual budget balanced by generous donors. The children grow in a loving and caring atmosphere and after their graduation, they become a good asset to both the Armenian nation and humanity.

How you can help

There are many ways that you can contribute to the children of Birds’ Nest. For one, you can visit the school to spend time some quality time with the children and bring a smile to their day. You can donate clothes and toys, and you can donate money. For more information, please contact them on +961-9-540867.

Posted by Dulce Salerno