Tuesday 30 April 2013

Harmful chemicals in commercial soap!

Moms, do take note of this news. 

We also found sodium benzoate used concurrently with citric acid in their liquid body cleanser for babies. These 2 ingredients are not advisable to be used together. 


This is not the only big commercial company we know of which uses harmful ingredients in their cosmetic products.


Monday 29 April 2013

Malala's on the cover of TIME!

"Malala is now where she wants to be: back in school. The Taliban almost made Malala a martyr; they succeeded in making her a symbol. The memoir she is writing to raise awareness about the 61 million children around the world who are not in school indicates she accepts that unasked-for responsibility as a synonym for courage and a champion for girls everywhere. However Malala concludes her book, her story so far is only just beginning."


- Chelsea Clinton 



My Body Image Journey

When I was 15, to lose weight, I turned vegetarian for a year, cut all sweet foods, squeezed my french fries meticulously of oil, and fainted 3 times in school. 

At 20 years old, I hit the gym 3 times a week for 3 hours each time and tanned myself religiously on the weekends in a bid to achieve that "bronzed beach babe" look. Some people then commented I looked too dark and scrawny. 

At 28, I still felt extremely uncomfortable stepping out of the house without at least some concealer and blusher on. I developed a new obsession with fake eyelashes because it made me look more feminine and sultry. 

Fortunately, there's been progress the past 2 years. 

Last year, at 30, I looked at my belly in the mirror and still frown wistfully, trying to wish it away.

Presently at 31, I still have moments when I fear that I'm "getting fat". But now I have managed to look at the Fat Monster in my mind and say "To hell with you, I'm glad to be happy and healthy." And I relish the weekends when I go out to town with no trace of makeup on. I like my liberated self so much better. 


- Carrie Tan, 31 yrs old, Founder of DoT

Body image issues are a life-long struggle for some women. What's your story? 


Friday 26 April 2013

Expressing love to our Mom

Do you struggle to express your love to your mom? It's so hard to say how we feel sometimes, especially in Asian families who seldom express feelings verbally. We'd rather die than say it to her directly.



Thursday 25 April 2013

The way we think about charity is dead wrong

  

Thank you Dan Pallotta, for summing up our challenge as a social enterprise and explaining so articulately our frustration each time people ask us "How much of this money is going to the women in India?" To which, we would reply - as much as we can give while trying to grow what we do.

The truth is... Overheads are a NECESSARY investment to SCALE-UP our impact. There's no point training women with skills if there's no MARKET for their skills. And there won't be markets if there's no marketing!

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Brilliantly put, and its our view

Quoting a Canadian lady blogger married in Korea, the definition of Feminism:

"Feminism should be about flexibility, movement, fluidity, and the ability to become the person you have the ability to become instead of being constrained by roles and categories which are constructed not innate." 

Monday 22 April 2013

SocialHaus Pop-up Booth

Last weekend, we had a booth at TheFashionHeadlines Pop-up event held at SocialHaus Singapore.




Big THANKS to TheFashionHeadlines 
for offering us their pop-up event platform to showcase our products last weekend! 
We got some new awareness from the residents around Yong Siak Street, 
and new fans of our baby dresses! 


Our lovely DoT supporters!

 Exploring a yummilicious PINK & GREEN collaboration with Socialhaus.. 
Stay tuned for more!

Thursday 18 April 2013

One-Month Wives

Prostituting their girls as a response by poor families to poverty is an ongoing practice. 

Help Daughters Of Tomorrow help them - by giving them income from skills training and paid work, not selling their bodies.

Spread the word, help us share this awareness video:



Last month, an Indian teenager escaped from her home after her parents pressured her to consummate a forced marriage to a middle-aged Sudanese man who paid about $1,770 for her to be his wife for four weeks.

SHARE the shocking news about India's "one-month wives". (Click here to view the article)

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Something beautiful

to end the night with for all daughters of today and tomorrow :)

DOT Feature in RazorTV

DOT and our upcoming forum event in June got featured in a RazorTV story about charities moving online!

Sunday 14 April 2013

**MEDIA CAUTION ALERT**

Ladies, parents, note of caution.


Worldwide Korean pop sensation PSY has released his new song and MTV called "Gentleman" - which in my opinion is done in extremely bad taste. It's so bad it ain't funny. 

It may seem like "humor & fun" to watch the pranks in the video - but what it really is a display of degradation of others, especially women. 

Considering the scale of PSY's success and how Gangnam Style was so popular among people of all ages, even young children, who are especially susceptible to the images they see in popular media, the influence propagated by the music video is so bad, it makes me feel it necessary to release this alert to caution parents everywhere.

Whatever the lyrics of the song says (even if in the off chance it's using reverse psychology to preach gentlemanliness, I have no idea!), this was an extremely distasteful and irresponsible piece of entertainment creation. 

Fortunately, my 2 nieces, aged 7 and 3, could identify that Psy is a "naughty boy" when they watched the video, but it also horrified me that 3 year-old Kayla commented "can see her body!" when one of the scenes showed a young woman's scintillating back view in a gym. 

The scene went on to show Psy throwing his clothes in a very demeaning way to the lady while proceeding to impress her with his gym moves. Subsequently, the lady was portrayed as being mesmerized by him and followed him like an adoring pet!! 

Do share this with your friends who are parents, so that they can be mindful and aware of the messages received by their kids when they watch this music video. We can't do much to stop what children watch these days due to proliferation and accessibility of internet media, but we CAN and NEED TO intervene in time to guide their responses and thoughts towards such images.

What a horrifying thought if boys grew up thinking they could treat girls this way, and girls grew up thinking it's acceptable 

Yours truly,

Carrie

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Niquolle loves our Reversible Baby Dress!

From a happy customer, Rachel Foo:

This is such a delightfully cute little dress! Totally in love with it. It's a reversible design with colorful floral prints and an elephant motif. From a social enterprise, Daughters of Tomorrow who helps disadvantaged women in India. Do good at the same time while you shop. Your purchase and support of the merchandise will provide continued livelihood to these women and their children. If you are still thinking what to get for that baby or birthday gift, this dress is perfect! DOT has other adorable dress designs and hairpins. Their online shop is http://www.daughtersoftomorrow-shop.com/

Niquolle looking adorable in our handmade reversible dress!

DOT goes to Bandung!

At Bandung visiting the rosé farmers. Our suppliers Wangsa Jelita purchases raw ingredients from these farmers for our organic soaps, and gives 10% of their yearly profits to help them buy more seeds. 

In addition, their interaction with the farmers include imparting financial literacy to them so that they can save and plan for their children's education! 


Look out for new products - Green Tea moisturizer and body scrub coming your way in DOT's e-shop very soon!!




Tuesday 2 April 2013

Horror in paradise

Post on AVAAZ.org


Posted: 20 March 2013
It's hard to believe, but a 15-year-old rape survivor has been sentenced to be whipped 100 times in public! Let's put an end to this lunacy by hitting the Maldives government where it hurts: the tourism industry.

The girl's stepfather is accused of raping her for years and murdering the baby she bore. Now the court says she must be flogged for “sex outside marriage” with a man who has not even been named! President Waheed of the Maldives is already feeling global pressure on this, and we can force him to save this girl and change the law to spare other victims this cruel fate. This is how we can end the War on Women – by standing up every time an outrage like this happens.

Tourism is the big earner for the Maldives elite, including government ministers. Let's build a million-strong petition to President Waheed this week, then threaten the islands' reputation through hard-hitting ads in travel magazines and online until he steps in to save her and abolish this outrageous law. Sign now and share this with everyone!


--

This is insane!! 15-yr-old rape victim is sentenced to flogging in public, while the perpetrator gets away scot-free.
Stop the Maldivian government by signing this online petition and sharing it with everyone you know!


And please don't visit the Maldives until they change these crazy laws!