Support for Maria’s planned trip to India in February to teach liberated sex trafficking victims how to make potholders and fiberworks has taken a major leap forward, her Indiegogo.com campaign  to raise $6,000 is now live.

She is offering a number of rewards for contributors.

Other good news today, she has been offering a matching grant by a socially conscious arts foundation to support her trip to India. If she raises $2,000 over the next 48 hours, she will receive an additional $1,000 in matching funds. The organization has asked to remain anonymous.

Maria has been asked to go to Calcutta (now Kolkata), India to teach the victims of sexual trafficking how to make potholders and other art to help them rebuild their lives and earn a sustainable living. She will leave in February.

The trip is expensive, we estimate it will cost in excess of $6,000 to travel to India, for the flights, hotel, food and other expenses, including gifts. We are confident we can raise the money, from ourselves, and with some outside help.

Yesterday, we asked readers of our blog for their support, they  can send checks to Maria/India Trip or Post Office Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or contribute via Paypal – [email protected] is her ID – or contribute through Indiegogo.

That site accepts Paypal and major credit cards, and can reach beyond our own very generous communities. We will, of course, keep you posted on the progress we are making. Maria is adamant about keeping the goal to $6,000, I believe she will need and use more than that.

She is committed to making this trip and helping the sex workers of Calcutta, she has been invited by an Episcopal Minister who helps run a socially conscious touring group that helps women in need in Africa and India.

It is especially touching that this trip was sparked by her hardy and popular potholders, which helped her launch her life as an artists and keep her business afloat during some difficult times. Maria loves her potholders and is committed to offering them inexpensively as a way for people to be able to afford some art.

She is overwhelmed to see where they may lead here. We are committed to this cause and this trip, this week she will pay the $500 registration fee, apply for a visa and begin researching the cost of flights to and from India.

Thanks so much for helping, you can see her Indiegogo site here.