RETURN POLICY

We hope that you love your new Aruna product MADE IN FREEDOM!   If you are not satisfied with your purchase or any issues/concerns arise with your product, simply email returns@arunaproject.com with your request and we will provide procedures and answers to your questions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I change my order after submission?

• ANSWER: We endeavor to ship your product as soon as possible following final order receipt. Please contact Aruna Customer Service at orders@arunaproject.com.

Can I cancel my order after it has been placed?

• ANSWER: If you have not received a Tracking Number, the order may be able to be canceled.Please contact Aruna Customer Service at orders@arunaproject.com.

How quickly will my order ship and how soon will I receive it?

• ANSWER: Order generally ships within 1-2 business days. We ship using the most economical ground method based on order size/weight. Once shipped, delivery time will vary based on your address but will generally be 1-5 business days.

How can I check the status of my order?

• ANSWER: A shipment confirmation containing tracking information will be emailed to you once your order ships. Other questions regarding your order can be answered by emailing Aruna Customer Service at orders@arunaproject.com.

How is tax calculated on my order?

• ANSWER: Our shipments originate in Ohio which has a sales tax rate of 5.75% and Hamilton County sales tax rate of 1.25% for a total of 7% sales tax. All items shipped within Ohio will be charged this tax rate.

What if the product I want is unavailable?

• ANSWER: Generally, product availability will only be a temporary issue. Please check back on the website periodically to see if the item has become available. Further questions can be directed to Aruna Customer Service at orders@arunaproject.com.

How can I provide feedback about my Aruna product directly to Aruna?

• ANSWER: We welcome all feedback! Please email Aruna at orders@arunaproject.com.

Do you ship internationally?

• ANSWER: At the present time, shipping is limited to the United States.

Why focus on sex trafficking?

• Sex trafficking isolates, silences, and renders powerless those who experience it. It also robs them of the liberties of what it means to be human and instead crushes them into the mold of a dehumanized sex slave. We believe that every person is of exceptional worth, should never be the property of another, and has the right to choose their own adventure. Eradicating sex slavery is not simply a benefit to freed individuals, but beneficial to cultures corporately as well.

Where are you located?

• Our USA operations are headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, while our India operations are headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Why did you choose to focus on South Asia?

• While sex trafficking is present in every country around the world, certain systemic factors coalesce in South Asia that have drawn our attention there. For example, young females in poverty there are subject to exceptionally higher risks of being trafficked for sex. The U.S. State Department’s annual TIP report, Walk Free Foundation’s Global Slavery Index, and Global Fund to End Modern Day Slavery all highlight South Asia with high rates of sex trafficking. When Aruna founders, Ryan and April Berg, first learned of the broader reality in South Asia, then spent time in Mumbai and learned about the specific sex trafficking issues within the city, they set out to create an option to help provide a solution in a local context.

Who does Aruna serve?

• In our work in Mumbai, India, we specifically serve women who have been forced, coerced, or deceived into sexually exploitation. While we are in relationship with those that seek to rescue minors (under 18 years of age), we focus primarily on adults and will only employ those over the age of 18. Some Aruna Artisans were rescued as minors and, after turning 18 and receiving help in an aftercare home, are now employed by us.

How is Aruna funded?

• The USA entity has diverse revenue streams. Grants, individual donors, Aruna Run registrations and donations, sales revenue from products, all go to fund the effort of bringing lifelong freedom. Some of those funds are considered as ‘designated funds,’ which means they are designated for specific purposes within the mission of Aruna to bring lifelong freedom. Aruna Runs, for example, serve to fund both the non-profit in India (which accelerates the freedom process for those in the brothels) and the private Indian company (which employs and empowers those already set free).

What other organizations do you work with?

• We work alongside a number of other entities in the day-to-day operations. Some we are permitted to share about, like International Justice Mission, Salvation Army, Oasis India. Others we can not publicly disclose because of the sensitivity of the work. Additionally, we are in an invited conversation with the local Indian government to bring our program into the government facilities where young women stay after government intervention takes place to free them from the particular area of sexual exploitation.

What are the working conditions like in the production unit where the Aruna Artisans work?

• Our USA entity founded and owns the Indian private limited company, which means that we are able to select the location, establish the company culture, and determine the quality of the labor conditions for the Aruna Artisans. Our production facility is not found in the typical manufacturing areas, but instead is located in a much safer and desirable area of the city near public transportation for easy travel and access. The building is secured and our floor is filled with natural light, high ceilings, open floor plan, and clean work space. It has a break area, counseling area, and specific production departments. Our normal work week is 5 days. A typical work day consists of 8 hours, with ½ hour lunch and tea breaks in the morning and afternoon. In addition, we have on-going counseling, development, assistance, and events designed to benefit the Artisans.

How are the Aruna Artisans paid?

• As employees of the company, each Artisan has a base salary that exceeds the living-wage standards for how the Indian government defines skilled or unskilled laborers. In addition, an Artisan receives retirement savings, health care savings, access to a company community fund in cases of medical emergencies, an annual bonus, and an annual raise. Each Artisan earns this salary and these benefits as an employee of the company and is paid as a result of the revenue generated by the company through the sales of products produced by the company.

Is Aruna a religious organization?

• Aruna is an International Human Rights US 501(c)(3), not a religious organization, and owns both the Indian non-profit and the Indian private limited company. In both of these places, women are served regardless of their faith tradition and/or beliefs. While Aruna is not a religious organization, founders Ryan and April Berg, are both compelled by their Christian faith.