
Harrison puts his treasure in people that nobody else wants. He, his wife, and their partners, live in an impoverished state in Northern India, that is home to more than 100 million people. Together, they use business to meet the physical and spiritual needs of their neighbors through Ziyada, a textile business.
“As Americans what people place their treasure in is often money,” Harrison said. “Whatever we’re putting our time and money toward is what we have a heart for and where our treasure is.”
As Harrison and his wife prayed for and gave to missions, the Lord broke their hearts for the unreached.
“I began to feel that we were praying and doing all these things, but maybe we should be willing to go,” Harrison said.
They moved to India six years ago, working with another couple to create Ziyada to help free people from extreme poverty. Their hope was to provide employment in the Indian context that would give the employees marketable skills, dignity and a better quality of life.
Ziyada currently employees 20 women and one man.
“Ziyada exists to provide meaningful employment in a safe, loving environment for people caught in the devastating cycle of extreme poverty in North India, and in the process, to bring you more quality and beauty through each good we create,” Harrison said on Ziyada’s website.
In India, every woman is expected to learn to sew. Therefore, Ziyada teaches women the skills of sewing and spinning to allow them to earn a living, send their children to school, and care for their families. Even if they left Ziyada, these employees would have marketable skills to find another job.