Appalling birth conditions in poor nations spur two women into action

Alicia Wieser and Samar Shaheryar never met while they were in New York, working in finance, but their paths crossed in Tokyo in 2010 when Wieser volunteered at Tokyo Helps, a charity set up by Shaheryar to raise funds for disaster relief worldwide. They have been good friends ever since.

Their passion for helping others continued after relocating to Hong Kong. When the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan in 2011, they organised Hong Kong Helps Japan, and collected US$120,000 for disaster relief.

"In Japan, the fundraising culture is not so well developed. When disasters happen, people just shut themselves off. But Hong Kong has an impressive fundraising infrastructure. People are socially aware and donate generously to charities," Wieser says.

Moving beyond simply accepting donations, the duo recently launched a social enterprise, packaging a sustainable business and a cause that is tied together neatly with a certificate to verify ethical working conditions.

They created Baby Hero, a line of clothing, to generate money to help mothers and infants in developing countries. With each purchase of an ethically produced baby outfit, the pair give something back: a birthing kit for expectant mothers in Pakistan.

"By connecting business with charity, we harness the power of consumers to support our cause instead of relying on periodic grants or donations," Wieser says.