Having worked on one heartbreaking case after another, a concerned group of social workers in Vietnam decided that they weren’t doing enough to aid the thousands of impoverished children in this region. To get off the streets, the children needed something they couldn’t afford: a quality education.

By Founding Mai Vietnamese Handicrafts, this devoted group of humanitarians provided many suffering youths with skill training, fair wages and literacy classes. Once schooling in Vietnam became free, this nonprofit organization turned to the people in most dire need of assistance. Thanks to their continued efforts, ethnic minorities and women have the opportunity to make a steady living and support their families. Interested in purchasing some of these finely crafted items? A vast array of these artisans’ goods, from wall hangings to chopstick sushi sets, is available at Ten Thousand Villages.