Introducing an inspiring woman and dedicated philanthropist Monica Watkins
We are honored to introduce our long time supporter Monica Watkins!
Monica Watkins, successful Ford model, artist and philanthropist, combined her passion for helping others and an understanding of the power of art and created Art in Motion (AIM) in 2008. AIM serves as a platform to seek out and nurture young, disadvantaged youth, allowing them to reach their potential and enhance the world around them by setting an example of giving, hope and achievement. AIM emphasizes charity, social consciousness, artistic freedom and global harmony. Through AIM, Monica has created art, music, fashion, and photography workshops to more than 1,500 children in Europe, Haiti, SE Asia, Asia and America working with incredible organizations and programs. Monica is also the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Beauty for Freedom (BFF), a New York City based anti-trafficking non-profit. Through BFF’s travel abroad teaching programming and advocacy, hundreds of survivors of sex trafficking and at-risk youth have been cultivated globally through the arts, music and fashion projects. These empowerment initiatives are meant to promote self-esteem and self-worth.
Today is a Women's Day! What this special day means to you?
"International Women's Day is so dear to me because I reflect on the amazing accomplishments of women that inspire me and have motivated my work in serving others and making an impact on the world. My mother, a civil rights activist and healthcare administrator, worked three jobs to support our family and continued her education throughout my childhood receiving her doctorate degree in education when my little sister and I were in high school. She is my everything and I dedicate this day to her. There are no words to describe how much she inspires me each day. Life is about the tiniest moments that create the emotional earthquakes in our hearts. I have memories of my mother singing me to sleep, at my bedside praying for my continued joy and happiness, putting a record on of Mozart compositions so I could fall asleep to those sounds and be inspired as I played my violin...those moments."
We are delighted to work with Monica and her team on "Project Destiny"
In collaboration with Kolkata, India based charitable trust and social venture for survivors of Human trafficking and at-risk youth Destiny Foundation/Reflection, the anti-trafficking non-profit Beauty for Freedom (BFF) and the activism-based product empowerment initiative Council for Fashion and Social Change (CFSC) have teamed up to create the Project Destiny Fashion Campaign and Capsule Collection to help raise funds and awareness for the fight to end sex-trafficking in India via Destiny Foundation/Reflection’s training programs at shelter homes and in the Red Light district’s, equipping young women and girls with knowledge of life skills such as sewing and crafts along with their literacy programming. All products in Project Destiny’s capsule collection were created and manufactured by the artisans under Destiny Foundation’s empowerment programs. Proceeds from sales of all products after production and distribution will be donated to the programming at Destiny Foundation/Reflection.
Photos by Dasha Dare