The idea of Pillow Dreams Project was born in 2003 when we volunteered in an infant home in Malawi (Africa), serving children that had lost their parents to AIDS. Traveling in Africa, we were impressed with the courage and positive attitudes of people in the face of enormous hardship, suffering, and the lack of opportunities compared to what we have in the United States. Realizing the many opportunities we have to create win-win situations in our lives, we decided to develop a fair business that would create a win-win for craftswomen and needy children in the third world. Our business would buy and import high quality pillowcases that would allow local women in each country to continue their traditional lifestyle and produce their traditional crafts wile still making a living wage. Once the products reached the United States, they would be sold through home shows and over the Internet. Of the profits made for each pillow, we would donate 50% to projects benefiting children in each continent where the pillows are produced. Pillow Dreams Project wants to contribute to a fair trade economy in the World. Pillow Dreams Project wants to help maintain and develop local traditional crafts by supporting projects that benefit the children in the regions where the crafts are made. We feel that there are many people around us who realize the existing disparities in the world and would be happy to help us in the support of children and women around the globe. What materials are used to make the pillows? All of our pillows are handcrafted by tribal women. Most of our pillows are made from high quality silk. Other pillows are made from cotton and hemp. Many pillows have embroidery or woven designs on them. All the pillows at Pillow Dreams Project come with either buttons or zippers (so the pillow cover can be removed for cleaning). Where are the Pillows from and who makes them? The pillows are made by women in villages in Vietnam and Thailand and in townships in South Africa. Who benefits from the sale of the pillows? With the sales of Pillow Dreams Project, the tribal women producing the pillows are able to preserve their traditional style and craft while making a living wage. In this way these women are able to stay in their village and continue their traditional life styles. Our customers benefit from these unique products because they bring color and warmth to their homes and hearts. Each purchase from Pillow Dreams Projects is an opportunity to give to yourself, your friends and your family. 50% of the profits of every pillow sold are donated to a specific project located in the continent where the pillow was made. KOTO in Vietnam and Open Arms Infant Home in Malawi both benefit from the sales of pillow sold by Pillow Dreams Project. The projects Pillow Dreams Project supports have been carefully selected for their effectiveness in serving children of different age groups. These projects are dedicated to making a difference in children's lives so that they will be able to pursue their dreams in the future. How to buy pillows from Pillow Dreams Project Secure On Line Purchasing Buy on line, securely and easily using PayPal to process your order and credit card payment. We will send your pillows with their pillow inserts within one week. Pillow Shows If you are in the Denver, Colorado, Metro Area and wish to purchase pillows during a live event, check our Events Page and call us as soon as possible to confirm that you will be joining us. We recommend that you share this opportunity with friends and family. Pillow Shows allow our customers to see the quality of our product up close, as well as meet other guests in a friendly atmosphere. Terms & Conditions Some pillows may have small objects like tassels or buttons that may be dangerous to pets and small children. Please use caution. We recommend dry-cleaning for best results. Some color variations may be found due to the natural process of making silk. The exchange of any purchase is permitted if requested within two weeks (14 days) of the original purchase date. The photographs of the pillows in this web site are for illustration purposes only. The colors of the products may vary from monitor to monitor. The pillows have designs on the front. The back (not shown) is plain.

Renee Rietmeijer and Laura Tilley, Co-Founders of Pillow Dreams Project Pillow Dreams Project is affiliated with the following organizations: Fair Trade Organization IFAT Producers Africa Home Craft Link Thai Tribal Crafts Beneficiaries Koto (Know One Teach One) Open Arms Infant Home KOTO (Know One Teach One) was set up in 2000 by Jimmy Pham, a Vietnamese Australian man who wanted to create an opportunity for homeless children to get them off the streets and help them build a better future. With approximately 60,000 children living on the streets of Vietnam today, Jimmy Pham decided to start a vocational school which would train children, ages 16 through 21, in the hospitality industry. Street Voices is a registered Australian charity which was created to support KOTO. With its help, KOTO is able to provide children with housing, clothing, medical care and training in English, as well as all aspects of the hospitality business, in an eighteen month period. KOTO operates a very well known and liked restaurant in the center of Hanoi which serves as both the training ground for students and as the public face of KOTO. 100% of Koto's graduates go on to work and support themselves in the large Vietnamese hospitality industry. KOTO has just moved into a larger new building only a couple of doors down from their old location across from the Temple of Literature in the center of Hanoi. Pillow Dreams Project is a proud supporter of KOTO's efforts and 50% of the profits from the sale of Vietnamese pillows goes to that organization. Visit KOTO on line at www.koto.com.au/ Open Arms Infants Home is located in Malawi, Africa, one of the poorest and AIDS-ridden countries in the world. In the face of this epidemic, Open Arms provides food, shelter and care to orphans from birth to age five. The parents of these children have died of AIDS- related illnesses and left these children alone in the world. In a country where the average daily wage is less than a dollar, the surviving relatives of the infants are too poor to afford taking on the responsibility of caring for them. In addition, the scale of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is such that, finances matters aside, the sheer number of orphan children is too much for remaining healthy adults to cope with. Accurate statistics are hard to find, but the number of orphans in Malawi as a result of the AIDS epidemic is suspected to be between 800,000 and 1,000,000. Open Arms creates hope in a daunting environment where almost half of the 40 children they take care of have HIV. They know each day with each child is a gift; hence their motto: love one day at a time. The Pillow Dreams Project donates 50% of profits from the sale of African pillowcases to Open Arms. Visit Open Arms on line at www.openarmsmalaiwi.org

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