ALIA WHITNEY-JOHNSON
www.emergeglobal.org
Emerge began when MIT undergrad Alia Whitney- Johnson encountered a group of teenage mothers (age 10-18) who were the survivors of rape and incest while conducting tsunami relief work in Sri Lanka in 2005.
A jewelry maker since the age of 7, Ali decided to host a jewelry workshop to get to know the girls better. Jewelry became a tool for transformation: a way to uplift their spirits and to help them overcome the economic and emotional obstacles they faced. Emerge was born as a way to sustain their work, connecting them to supplies and training, a global market, and a global community of support. Emerge jewelry sales have been widely successful, selling out all merchandise every time.
Emerge is launching its next project: a community with homes, a school, and a women’s cooperative for sexually abused teenage mothers in Sri Lanka that will promote leadership, community, and livelihood.





