BLOSSOMY PROJECT MISSION STATEMENT
THE PURPOSE OF BLOSSOMY PROJECT IS TO SERVE SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THEIR DEPENDANTS AS WELL AS THOSE VULNERABLE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO HEALING, SUPPORT AND EMPOWERMENT THROUGH CREATIVE PROGRAMMING FOR SELF EXPRESSION, FINANCIAL SECURITY AND PERSONAL AUTONOMY. BLOSSOMY PROJECT SUPPORTS ORGANIZATIONS BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY WHO ARE COMMITTED TO THE EMPOWERMENT PROCESS.
BLOSSOMY’S STORY
Laura Price founded Blossomy in 2004 after traveling to India for a two month community development volunteer project in Kolkata. She found placement with Sanlaap, an organization that provides shelter and other services to girls and women rescued from sex trafficking.
With the intention of teaching basic computer skills, Laura focused on touch typing. This method served to be very helpful as a device for the students navigating language both on the computer as well as in conversation.
The computer class began with 10 girls and eventually grew in size and later led to developing an independent computer training for the shelter home in partnership with a local NGO to take the program to the next level.
This gave Laura the freedom to explore her real passion which was healing through the expression arts.
Blossomy launched the Restoration of Innocence project and offered workshops and programs that allowed the girls to experience moments of a carefree childhood.
Blossomy organized many events, such as a private concert at the shelter home with a popular local band, Cactus. On this occasion, the shelter home was transformed into a festival environment with street vendors “selling” food and bangles.
Blossomy also arranged for the entire Sanlaap home, drop in centers and all staff members a day at the movies.
In 2005, Blossomy took a group of 10 girls to study Iyengar yoga with her teachers in Dehradun, India. The Blossomy Yoga Camp program invited facilitators from the U.S. and Australia to teach self-defense, art, cooking and English to create camp activites along with the yoga classes.
The project was so popular, that in 2006, Blossomy was approached by Tanmoy Bose, a world renown musician and together they created Expression Through Rhythm. Blossomy invited participants from local anti-trafficking NGOs to join in a week long day camp. ETR teamed up with both traditional and modern artists to create a program of music, dance, theater and other expressive arts to heal the wounds of human trafficking. This program was offered annually until 2011.
Laura strongly believes in the healing power of the arts and that these programs are equally as important as the many vocational and educational programs offered at the local NGOs.
In 2012, along with dance movement thereapy organization, Kolkata Sanved and fine art photographer, Brooke Shaden, Blossomy organized a story telling photography workshop called If I Could Fly. This program is an original program combining basic photography skills, self portraiture, movement therapy and stroy telling for healing.
In 2013, an exhibition was held at The Harrington Street Arts Centre in partnership with The American Center in Kolkata, displaying of the photographs taken during the workshop for the purpose of awareness building on the subject of sex trafficking and women’s empowerment issues.
Over the years, the American Center Kolkata has partnered with Blossomy providing support for many of our programs including Restoration of Innocence and If I Could Fly.
November 2015, in partnership with Brooke Shaden, Blossomy launched a professional photography training called The Light Space in Kolkata for survivors of human trafficking. This program has offered trainings in Thailand and Greece.
In 2016 Blossomy became a registered 501(c)3 and changed her name to Blossomy Project!