Microsoft partners with Sequence to curb violence in El Salvador

In its mission to “empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” Microsoft has teamed up with Sequence to help curb the daily violence taking place daily in El Salvador by making handcrafted products. Founder Ariela Suster, along with local artists Oscar Bautista and Natali Orellana, mentor and employ local youth to help her create bracelets, necklaces, scarves, and hats that showcase the best parts of El Salvador’s culture. Suster’s mission is to keep kids out of the gang lifestyle by employing them at Sequence to develop creative designs.

Suster and her Sequence team’s latest creation is an NFC bracelet. The bracelet contains an NFC chip that plays a short background video on the story behind the bracelet; how it was made and who created it, when tapped to the back of Windows Phone, Android, or Blackberry phone. These NFC bracelets are being sold at the flagship Microsoft Store in New York City.
Microsoft helped Sequence grow their idea and business with the help of software and hardware, including the Surface Pro 3, which played an integral part in designing these NFC-implanted bracelets. For every 1,000 bracelets sold, Suster and Sequence can help employ another artist and help save them from being swept up in El Salvadorian gang violence.
Although not available for purchase online through the Microsoft Store, you can purchase these bracelets through the Sequence website.