As if we didn't love Ikea enough already, the Swedish furniture giant just gave us another reason to waste our money on tealights and scoff its legendary meatballs.
The company just announced plans, beginning in 2019, to sell a range of rugs and textiles made by Syrian refugees. The move will create jobs for around 200 people, most of them women living in Jordan, CNN reported.
The products will be part of a limited edition run sold locally and in other Middle Eastern countries that have free trade agreements with Jordan.
"The situation in Syria is a major tragedy of our time, and Jordan has taken a great responsibility in hosting Syrian refugees," Jesper Brodin, a managing director at Ikea, told CNN. "We decided to look into how Ikea can contribute."
Ikea began work on the project before Donald Trump's executive order capping the number of refugees that can be admitted to the US, banning Syrian refugees indefinitely and preventing the entry of people from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
This is just the latest initiative from the company in support of refugees. Its not-for-profit Ikea Foundation has been instrumental in raising funds for the cause, and recently won a prestigious design award for its flat-pack refugee shelter developed with the UNHCR. More than 16,000 'Better Shelters' have been deployed to crisis locations including Nepal, Iraq and Yemen.
By shopping at Ikea, then, you're showing support for the company's philanthropy and its projects aimed at helping those most in need.
Ikea isn't the only organisation working with refugees, however, and making well-considered purchases is a straightforward way to support other companies doing their bit.
While making a one-off donation or setting up a direct debit to charities such as the Refugee Council, Red Cross or Syria Relief is the most obvious (and most effective) way to help those fleeing war-torn countries, buying the right products can also help.
So put your money where your mouth is and vote with your feet. Swap items you'd usually buy for ethical alternatives, and opt for companies and services that support or donate money to refugees. Here are some small purchases that could make a difference.
Buy bread
We don't need an excuse to buy fancy bread but by supporting the E5 Bakehouse Just Bread scheme in London, you'll be helping local refugees as well as satiating your tastebuds. The initiative supports refugee women in the capital by training them to knead and bake the perfect loaf. Pick up some sourdough next time you're in east London.
Photo: Via @e5bakehouse
Go to Starbucks
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz recently vowed to hire 10,000 refugees globally over the next five years in response to Trump's executive order. In an open letter to staff, he said the promise was "a concerted effort to welcome and seek opportunities for those fleeing war, violence, persecution and discrimination".
The company, which has more than 25,000 stores in 75 countries, doesn't exactly have a spotless record when it comes to ethics – it became known for tax avoidance in 2012 – but has since made moves to clean up its reputation. In his most recent announcement, Schultz said the US-based company would "neither stand by, nor stand silent, as the uncertainty around the new administration's actions grows with each passing day". White chocolate mocha frappuccino, anyone?
Photo: Via @starbucks
Update your wardrobe
Last year, fashion designer Bella Freud launched a range of unisex T-shirts and sweatshirts as part of the 'Refugenes' campaign by grassroots organisation Help Refugees. 'Refugenes' aims to highlight the contribution of refugees and their families to British society and show solidarity with those affected by the global refugee crisis.
Proceeds from the range, priced between £14 and £35, go to Help Refugees and support its work of providing aid for the most vulnerable people currently reaching Europe's shores. Not only that, but they're also printed on 100% organic cotton and made in an ethically accredited wind-powered factory. Double win.
Photo: Courtesy of Bella Freud
Buy a new pair of wheels
Don't go straight to Halfords next time you need a new bike. Head to The Bike Shop in London and proceeds from your purchase will help sustain its ability to offer refugee women cycle training and host community bicycle-repair workshops. The shop fixes up frames to donate to refugees, all of which are donated to the project. It sells the most valuable donations to generate funds to keep the project going. If you needed another reason to take up cycling, aside from the health and environmental benefits, this is it.
Photo: Via @the_bikeproject
Use Airbnb
Another extremely easy service to get behind. Our love for Airbnb is no secret – in fact, it's the most common way we score holiday accommodation these days, and we recently started rounding up our favourite properties each month. And after the company's CEO and cofounder Brian Chesky recently offered free accommodation to refugees and others affected by Trump's travel ban, we're even more enamoured.
"Not allowing countries or refugees into America is not right, and we must stand with those who are affected," he wrote in a Facebook post. Swoon.
Photo: airbnb
Go to a Syrian supper club
Swap your usual Nando's dinner or trip to the latest trendy pizza place for some delicious Middle Eastern food and do your bit to support aid projects in Syria. The Syrian Supper Club raises money for The Hands Up Foundation and has held 75 suppers since 2012, feeding over 2,000 people and inspiring other Syrian Suppers to pop up around the world. The initiative's formula is simple: by sharing food and entertaining people, they unite behind a common cause.
The next Syrian Supper club, taking place in April, is sadly fully booked but you can add your name to the waiting list and check the website regularly for new events.
Photo: Via @syriansupperclub
Buy a new cookbook
If you're too impatient to wait for the next Syrian Supper Club, you need the #CookForSyria cookbook. The book, created by Instagrammer Clerkenwell Boy and publisher Serena Guen, features over 100 recipes from Syrian chefs and celebrity cooks including Hemsley+Hemsley, Jamie Oliver and Gizzi Erskine. If that wasn't enough, all profits are donated to UNICEF's Children of Syria Fund.
Feast your eyes on some of the book's mouthwatering photography and you'll want to host your own #CookForSyria dinner party. Chow down on falafel and za'atar flatbreads while raising awareness – and even money (why not charge your mates for your efforts?) – for the campaign.
Photo: Courtesy of #CookForSyria
Update your homeware
If your flat is in need of a little TLC, invest in some ethical homeware from Aerende. The online shop sells stylish textiles, crockery, soaps and more, all of which are made in the UK by people facing social challenges and barriers to conventional employment. True to its principles, Aerende works with London-based charity The Refugee Council and other refugee charities to help rehoused women from Syria to develop practical business skills for work in the UK. Why not bung some natural linens hand-finished by female Syrian refugees into your basket?
Photo: Courtesy of AerendeLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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