How three embroidery artists are using new tech to fund training for the survivors of human trafficking

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Katerina Marchenko (Moscow), Aline Brant (Brasil) and Ninni Luhtasaari (Finland) will auction their first NFTs for ‘Embroidery for Safe Employment’ a campaign by charity Hope For The Future

Three of the world’s leading embroidery artists are using the latest technology to fund training for the survivors of human trafficking. The artists, Moscow’s Katerina Marchenko, Brasil’s Aline Brant and Finland’s Ninni Luhtasaari will auction their art digitally as NFTs for the ‘Embroidery for Safe Employment’ campaign by Austrian charity Hope For The Future. 

The NFTs will be auctioned as ‘The Hope Collection’ by ethical funding platform, Orica. The aim is to raise $10k for Embroidery for Safe Employment, which empowers women to escape forced labour after being trafficked across borders. Survivors are trained to use an embroidery machine so that they can undertake entry-level work embroidering products. For many who come to charity Hope For The Future this is their only route out of commercial sexual exploitation. 

“I didn’t know a thing about NFTs,” explains Hope For The Future founder Andrea Staudenherz, who started the charity in 2016 after working with survivors on the streets of Vienna. “My daughter’s boyfriend had to explain the possibilities to me.” 

“It’s incredible that these renowned embroidery artists, at different sides of the world, can now support our charity’s work via Orica. We see ourselves as an anchor of hope for the survivors of human trafficking. These NFTs are giving us the hope that we can fully fund our training in 2022.”

For all three embroidery artists, this will be the first time they have auctioned their work digitally. Known as an artist’s ‘genesis NFTs’, these first auctions are increasingly sought after by digital collectors.

“I’d followed this year’s excitement about NFTs, but needed a reason bigger than ‘in it for the money’,” explains Katerina Marchenko, who has more than 400k followers on Instagram.

“When Orica told me about Hope For The Future’s campaign it became that bigger reason for me. I’m excited to auction my artwork for such an important cause.” 

The Hope Collection of NFTs will be auctioned by Orica on 27th – 30th December 2021. Each auction will start at just $500. More information can be found at https://orica.io/ 

Source: https://www.blockleaders.io/how-three-embroidery-artists-are-using-new-tech-to-fund-training-for-the-survivors-of-human-trafficking/