Why You Should Wake Up And Choose Love. An Interview with Choose Love.
Let’s start by introducing Choose Love - tell us more about what you do.
Choose Love does whatever it takes to help refugees at every stage of their journey. From fleeing conflict and danger, to rebuilding lives in a safe place, we provide everything from lifesaving medical assistance to warm clothes and education for children. We do this through our network of over 200 incredible partners across 26 countries. We go where the need is greatest, find the local organisations doing the most effective work, and give them what they need to help people – whether that's funding, material aid or volunteers.
Who does Choose Love help?
Choose Love helps people on the move across the world. We elevate the voices and visibility of refugees and galvanise public support for agile community organisations providing vital support along migration routes globally. Our goal is to ensure that no one falls through the cracks. We aim to support local organisations, led by people with lived experience of migration, who are assisting people from some of the most marginalised and underserved communities.
What are the current challenges that Choose Love is facing? Where is the most demand for aid currently?
The need for aid and support is increasing everywhere we work on a daily basis. From the US Mexico border, the Amazon and Greece to Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine, people are being forced from their homes desperately in search of safety. Choose Love and our partners are galvanising more support and reaching more people than ever before. This year, with the devastating invasion of Ukraine causing one of the biggest displacements of people since the second world war, a big focus of our work and huge challenge has been responding to the needs of the millions of vulnerable people fleeing the conflict.
We are working inside Ukraine supporting internally displaced people and in 11 surrounding countries that are receiving refugees as a result of the war. The response to our Ukraine appeal was incredibly overwhelming and although coordinating our work has been a huge challenge, we are so inspired by the resilience and dedication of the people working tirelessly on the ground every day. A final challenge that we are facing alongside the global population is the growing increase in the prices of food, fuel and basic human necessities. We need to raise more than ever before to continue to cover the huge needs, particularly through another harsh winter when everyone should have equal access to vital food and warmth.
Why should people support WUKA X CHOOSE LOVE this Black Friday?
The incredible and inspiring people at WUKA are working hard to beat the taboo surrounding periods and tackle period poverty all over the world. Of the global refugee and stateless populations, 50% are women and girls who are making long and traumatic journeys to safety, finding themselves living in unsanitary and dangerous situations with little to no access to basic human rights like food or running water, let alone period products. By supporting WUKA X CHOOSE LOVE you are enabling them to give more and more people critical access to period pants. For just 5 pounds, one more displaced woman can have peace of mind during their period in a world often filled with chaos and uncertainty. We are so proud to be partnering with WUKA and are so grateful for their support.
This year, WUKA is donating 1% of all sales during their Ethical Black Friday sale to Choose Love. What impact will this have?
Choose Love is assisting people across the world with services that reach far beyond traditional humanitarian aid. By supporting our work you are contributing towards vital grassroots action that pushes for change, raises the voices of marginalised communities and provides care that people would otherwise have very little access to. Since 2015 Choose Love has supported over 400 projects in more than 35 countries, with 94.3% of your donations going directly towards supporting refugees. We are fast and flexible and make sure that the incredible funds donated to us by the public, trusts and foundations go directly to where they need to go to have the most long lasting impact.
The donation from WUKA this Black Friday will have a huge, real world impact on the ground. From providing women and girls with period and hygiene products and supporting the running of safe womens spaces to children’s education and healthcare, your donation will go towards making a significant difference on the ground to the lives of those affected everyday by conflict, climate change, the costs of living crisis and widespread instability.
The Choose Love Pop Up Shop opened recently. Where is it and what can people expect when they visit?
The Choose Love Shop is a shop like no other. Here you can buy real items and life-saving interventions which will go to refugees and displaced people across the world. Online and in the Carnaby Street shop you can choose from a range of different items and life-changing interventions for refugees. From childrens coats, food and hygiene packs to women’s support and safety and mental health care. Everything you buy can be sent by you or in the name of a loved one, making it the perfect gift for someone you care about. Choose Love then makes sure that whatever you buy goes to the people who need it the most. You can then stay up to date with where the funds raised in the shop goes via our social media where we will show the real world impact of people's purchases. The store is now open on London’s Carnaby Street 7 days a week, or you can purchase all of our items online at www.choose.love. In store we have an amazing team to tell you more about our work and that of our incredible partners.
In what other ways can people support Choose Love?
Choose Love wouldn’t be where it is today without the incredible support of the public. They have donated money, clothing and shoes, volunteered, signed petitions, written letters to their MP’s and proudly worn our Choose Love t shirts to show their solidarity with refugees and displaced people across the world, and still today these are all the ways you can help. Donate funds, collect items from your community to send to those who need it, go to our website to sign petitions, find out more about how you can volunteer on the ground and take action locally and around the world.
Why do you work for Choose Love?
I work for Choose Love because it is an inspiring group of people who are fighting for justice and positive change every day. I believe so passionately in our mission, our partners and our ability to keep supporting people who really need it the most. Every day more and more people experience forced displacement all over the world. I see the need for the work of Choose Love and that of the whole grassroots movement only growing. I feel grateful to be a part of the push for equality for all people regardless of where they were born and the journey they have taken.
If you had to recommend a WUKA product to anyone this Black Friday, what would you choose?
Personally I would recommend any of the period pants. Even though it happens every month, having your period just never gets easier! Having good, reliable period pants that are comfortable AND look great makes it just that little bit easier!
Ultimately,
Choose Love provides crucial aid and support to refugees and displaced people. With the support of WUKA and their loyal customers, Choose Love is able to give WUKA period pants to those in need. Purchase with purpose and Wake Up and Choose Love with WUKA.
FAQ’s
What are period pants?
WUKA period pants are an eco-friendly, reusable period product. Available in many styles and sizes, WUKA period pants can be worn as you would wear your usual pants, except they absorb your menstrual blood. Learn more about how period pants work here.
What is period poverty?
Those in period poverty struggle to access or cannot afford period products. This can lead to them missing out on work or school and therefore losing out on wages or education. More than 500 million women, girls and menstruators worldwide are in period poverty.
Can Black Friday be ethical?
Yes. In a lot of cases Black Friday is bad for the planet and promotes unethical working practices. However, at WUKA we use Black Friday to reduce period poverty and make sustainable periods more accessible by offering great discounts and amplifying the amazing work of our charity partner Choose Love.
What is Choose Love?
Choose Love is a UK-based non-governmental organisation that supports refugees and displaced people in rebuilding their lives. Choose Love does whatever it takes to provide aid like, lifesaving search and rescue to food and legal advice. Find out more.
