Proverbs 3:3 “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”

In the fall of 2021 a small group of volunteers in Harderwijk started a project to make this proverb come to life. Once a month ‘upcycled’ scarves, made from second hand clothing, are created to be sold in a local church. The proceeds will go to Baan Phak Phing.

There is a task for everyone, even if using a sewing machine is unfamiliar. Our creativity is being developed in a very different way…..searching for materials that fit well together. Surprisingly very enjoyable to do. There was a wonderfully restful atmosphere with a few conversations but mostly silent concentration on the work at hand.

The original idea came from the American Audra Peifer, founder of Binding Love https://www.bindinglove.org/. While watching a documentary about human trafficking, Audra was moved by what she saw and heard. She made her first upcycled scarves and sold them to fundraise for the two projects she chose in Thailand: Baan Phak Phing and Baan Eden, both located in Chiang Rai. This was the start of the project Binding Love. Later she and her family visited both homes to personally witness the way the homes were run.

This past year the contact between the Baan Phak Phing Nederland and Binding Love grew into a trial collaboration. The scarves made in Harderwijk will be sold for St. Nick and Christmas presents in December.

Would you like to set up a similar project in your neighborhood? Contact [email protected].