So Who Wants Freedom Coffee Mugs?

These past few months since Myanmar military coup on, February 1, 2021 we have been racking our brains for a way to help Myanmar. There have been so many lives lost as well as loss of incomes, homes, and land in Myanmar as the military junta violently inhumanely cracks down and persecutes those who simply ask to be treated with dignity. As we watch the death toll mounts and the suffering increases with each passing day, we are overwhelmed by desire to do something good to counter the brutal and malicious acts of Myanmar soldiers.

Homes have been burned. People have been killed in more ways than we could bear to hear or witness via CCTV footages and citizen videos. What can we do? What could we even do? More importantly, what should we do? are the constant questions we ask ourselves, from the time we wake to the time we close our eyes at night. Questions even follow us into our dreams and nightmares. Finally, we, a group of friends known since childhood in Myanmar and are now residing outside of Myanmar, decided to take action to raise funds, to donate what we can, to amplify voices to raise awareness, to rise up against tyranny by helping those who are in need.

With this desire, Rise and Shine with Freedom — our organized movement to raise funds using e-commerce platform — was born. With this vision, we created everyday beautiful products featuring protest art for Myanmar by artists who graciously gave consent to use their creations. Our mission is to send help to those who are deeply affected by Myanmar Military Coup, while raising awareness of the dire situation in Myanmar.

What can a coffee mug or a freedom T-shirt do for the people of Myanmar who are at risk? Profits from the sales can feed a child who has lost her/his home. It can provide relief for the families who were forced to leave their homes because they refused to serve under this brutal regime. It can provide medicine for the poor and the sick. It can offer hope to those who are starting to despair. We are sending the funds to organizations such as Mutual aid Myanmar, which are working tirelessly to support the democracy movement in Myanmar.