I'm pretty passionate about essential oils from dōTERRA, simply because I understand the power they have to help us reach a greater level of health and happiness. But did you know that they also have a charity which does amazing things for the communities who provide us with these little bottles of joy?
It's called the Healing Hands Foundation. It is part of dōTERRA, and this is where it gets interesting. dōTERRA pay for ALL of the administration costs, as well as the products that you can purchase to support it (more on that later). Every single cent that is donated or raised is given out to the programs and people the Healing Hands Foundation supports.
They have partnered with three main charities:
1. Days For Girls
They seek to help women and girls discover their potential and self-worth. Women and girls in the program are taught that they are equal participants and agents of social change and are given opportunities to thrive, grow, and contribute to their communities' betterment while ensuring quality, sustainable feminine hygiene.
2. Mentors International
Providing credit to those who would otherwise not have financing opportunities or whose only lending options are with unethical and even dangerous lenders, the micro-credit fund helps lift the poor from poverty while elevating communities through economic development.
An example of this is in Guatemala. With an average loan size of $300, the initial donation of $100,000 by the dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation™ to the micro-credit lending fund in Huehuetenango, Guatemala has led to more than $800,000 in loans being dispersed!
3. Choice Humanitarian
The main charity that doTERRA have partnered with is Choice Humanitarian. Choice empowers rural villagers living in extreme poverty (less than $1.25/day) to determine their own path out of poverty. They believe in the value and dignity of all human beings, and that extreme poverty is intolerable and must be eliminated. Choice work with dōTERRA on the Co-Impact Sourcing model, which is where dōTERRA pays a fair price for the essential oils that these communities can produce, as well as making sure that the villages have basic necessities like running water, and shelter.
Thanks to the contacts already on the ground, when the earthquake hit Nepal in 2015, Healing Hands and dōTERRA were able to donate funds for immediate relief (blankets, tarps, hygiene kits) and food supplies and to build:
- 200 temporary homes
- 15 tent schools
- 500 tent classrooms
- repair 20 essential oil distilleries
- build four new distilleries
Thanks to the Co-Sourcing initiative created by dōTERRA, they were able to get into the devastated regions to help. In fact, the regions which were hardest hit were the ones were dōTERRA's wintergreen is sourced. The idea behind Co-Impact Sourcing is three-fold. They want to support the people, plants and product. They do this in an interlocking way.
They want to make sure the plants are sourced from communities where they grow the best they can. Usually this means people who have been growing the plants for generations, and in an environment which maximises the oils' potential.
The oils are harvested at the right time, again to maximise the quality available. Sometimes this date does not coincide with the harvesters' need for money, so dōTERRA assists the communities to set up a cooperative and pays them in instalments throughout the year. This helps the people, as well as the essential oil.
The following video on the sourcing of Vetiver from Haiti demonstrates the positive impact this has on the community. (It's also worth noting that Healing Hands has assisted this community with their water needs too).
This video on the sourcing of Wintergreen from Nepal goes into a lot of detail about how the Healing Hands Foundation works with Co-Impact Sourcing to help everyone.
If you would like to support this charity, there are a few ways you can help.
- Buy (and use) the best essential oils in the world, and give the people growing them as well as their community a reason to keep working.
Add a donation to your Loyalty Reward Order (currently only on US/NFR orders, but coming soon to Australian orders)
Buy a tube of
dōTERRA's rose hand lotion (currently only available on US orders). The full cost of this goes directly to the Healing Hands Foundation, and all production costs are absorbed by dōTERRA.
If you would like to learn more about the empowering benefits of essential oils or if you are interested in growing a home based business doing something that you love please do get in touch.
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Happy and healthy living!
Tanya