Beginnings
Our story began in a small town in the Dominican Republic, a few weeks before Christmas, 2017.
A young teenage girl bravely shared with her teacher about the abuse she was suffering at home. She was being sold by her mother for sex. After years of suffering, she decided to speak out, in the hope of protecting her younger siblings, whom she feared would soon suffer the same treatment.
After this teenage girl and her siblings were rescued by the Police, she was asked if there was anything from home she wanted to take with her. She was unlikely to return to this house ever again. After thinking for a while, she asked for her blue bear.
Moments later, she was driven away from the scene with an old, dirty, and damaged blue teddy sitting snuggly on her lap, as she clung to it for comfort.
She left behind a life of abuse but refused to leave behind her beloved blue bear and so moved from rescued to rescuer.
After witnessing this moment, Bryn, Blue Bear’s Founder, began a teddy bear fund to ensure that the next child they rescued from a situation of exploitation would have a new, cuddly teddy to cling to for comfort as they begin their journey of restoration. Something that said, “you are loved, and you matter.”
The teddy bear fund developed into Blue Bear Coffee Co. a social enterprise selling ethically sourced coffee to raise money for projects protecting and restoring children who have suffered abuse and exploitation in the Dominican Republic and around the world. It has since launched an NGO in the Dominican Republic and a registered charity in the United Kingdom.
