Charitable organisation Mend is helping Ugandan women whose lives have been affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army, a Rebel group operating in the region. They are selling a series of tote bags made by the women living in their shelter, with each bag bearing the name and fingerprint of the maker. This personalisation is designed to create a connection between products, their makers and consumers, which is part of a wider trend for conscientious commerce.

The women come from different backgrounds but are all abductees who were forced to become child soldiers or to marry members of the rebel movement. After defecting, they learnt basic tailoring skills which they put to use to create these bags.

Customers can also go online and read the women's stories and watch videos (which are updated bi-monthly), which show them discussing how the money they have earned has positively impacted their lives. You can find out more about the project and purchase the bags online here.