As the lazy days of summer wind down, the familiar rhythm of school days is about to begin again. For me, this transition is a bittersweet one. Alex will be heading back to college next week. Our kitchen will be cleaner, but the ache of an empty nest has already begun to tug at my heart.

It's easy to forget amidst the bustling school supply shopping and preparation, just how privileged it is to have access to education. While most American children take their schooling for granted, millions of children worldwide dream of attending even a single day of class.

In Guatemala, for example, the average person attends only 4.7 years of school. In Morocco, it's 5.5 years, and in Uganda and Nepal, the numbers are even lower. These sobering statistics highlight the immense challenges faced by families in these communities.

At Intertwined, your purchase is more than a transaction; it's an investment in the future. By choosing our handcrafted items, you're directly supporting families in our partner communities. Every purchase enables us to place new orders, providing essential income to artisans. Your support empowers these families to break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time. Together, we can create a world where every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Tomasa and Ricardo make Intertwined's cotton corte blankets and aprons. Their son, Sebastian, is in fourth grade.

Mala Thapa Magar has one beautiful daughter. (She's older now as this is an older photo.) Mala was raised by a single mother who ensured that she stayed in school. Mala's nettle business now indirectly employs around 600 women in remote Himalayan villages in Nepal. Many of these mothers are able to buy school uniforms and supplies with their wages.

Ride 4 a Woman does more than train community women to produce beautiful items. They also offer a school sponsorship program as a way of supporting its members, enabling children to go to school and freeing up women to focus on their own skills and income prospects. They currently sponsor 40 children.