FAQ

Disclaimer:

The Global Wonder products you see listed in our online store are all handmade. Therefore, colours, shapes and bead sizes may vary slightly from the pictures shown. Additionally, colours may vary depending on your monitor - if you have any questions or concerns, contact us!

Shipping:

All orders are sent via Canada Post within 2-5 business days. It generally takes 7-10 business days to receive your order in the mail. You can choose to have your item shipped Xpresspost under shipping options for an additional cost. If you would like to upgrade your shipping further or add insurance please contact us.

We ship internationally! For shipping costs and information, please contact us to discuss your purchases.

What is Your Exchange/Return Policy?

You may ship your product back for an exchange or a full refund with all price tags intact and original receipt within 30 days of original purchase. Global Wonders is not responsible for return shipping costs. See more about our policies here.

What is Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation?

Some definitions of exploitation are:

• The act of utilizing something in an unjust, cruel or selfish manner for one’s own advantage
• Exploitation involves a persistent social relationship in which certain persons are being mistreated or unfairly used for the benefit of others.
• Utilization of another person or group for selfish purposes.
• Taking advantage of an individual or situation for one’s full benefit

‘Trafficking in Persons’ shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.

Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.
[December 2000, The Palermo Protocol, the United Nations defines trafficking in article 3.].

The SA Foundation purports that any kind of prostitution IS sexual exploitation. Whether the young girls end up on the streets voluntarily or not, they are still being abused and exploited for the benefit of others – both the customers and the pimps, brothel owners or escort agency reps that arrange their sale.

Human trafficking has surpassed the international arms trade to become the second largest business of organized crime! Almost 6 in 10 identified trafficking survivors (out of 20.9 million annually) are trafficked for sexual exploitation. (United Nations, 2015)

Why Nepal?

In countries like Nepal young girls end up in the brothels of India and elsewhere because they are tricked by traffickers into believing they are being taken to carpet factories or other types of employment for work. Sometimes even false marriages are arranged for these girls to be able to sell them into the sex trade. Once deposited at a brothel owner’s doorstep, the girls are beaten and raped into submission, and then begin the grueling work of having sex with twenty to forty customers per day. They are not free to leave and are only discarded when they either become too old and unattractive (about mid-twenties), or contract a deadly disease such as HIV/AIDS. When rescued from or kicked out of a brothel, the caste system in that part of the world forces the young women to begging for food on the streets. There are few programs offering hope and healing to these girls and their children.

"I have grown up in a very poor family, and I have spent my childhood in pain and suffering. When I was 18 years old my family forced me to get married and I got married. After my marriage my husband took me to India as he worked there. I was expecting a good life there, but there my life became hell. My husband's boss and all his relatives abused and exploited me. Once my husband brought me back to Nepal and I divorced him. After returning to Nepal I struggled financially. Thus I started sexual work in my village. With the contact of hotels, I used to go with people and earn money from it. Once I was invited by a friend to the program and I wanted to come so I could change my life. I came and started to learn various life changing skills. Mentally, emotionally and spiritually I have grown up. Now I am studying in college and my aim is to pass my BA and help vulnerable people of society." - G, Program Participant

How Fair Trade Are You?

It is the goal of the SA Foundation to offer the fair working environment to everyone involved in the program, whether participants or staff. Participants whether involved full time/part time in the HC training center, or going to school, are equally financially supported as the SA Foundation recognizes that they have no family to help them achieve their goals and there is no social welfare support in the country. Consequently it is the duty of the SA Foundation to stand in the gap for those who join our programs.

This is the support received as follows:

Basic Support:                          Rs. 9,000/month

Festival Allowance:                    Rs. 750/month

10% Provident Fund:                  Rs. 900/month

Shelter:                                     Rs. 1600/month

Utilities and other Necessities:    Rs. 3600/month

Subtotal:                                   Rs. 15,850/month (this is approximately twice as much as they would make working on their own)

In addition, participants involved receive medical allowance and scholarship fund depending on their needs. This qualifies every participant involved in Nepal programs as receiving fair trade wages and support.