Holos means wholeness. We brew all natural, authentic kombucha packed with goodness for your gut. Your bottle of Holos kombucha is not only a gut-loving, low-sugar soft drink with award-winning taste. We also employ survivors of slavery in a safe, supportive and sensitive way. Everyone deserves to belong, everyone is on a journey to wholeness.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

It all started with Maya. 

Our founders Naomi and Megan, met Maya while in Cambodia and working with survivors of human trafficking. Maya was trapped on the streets, trying to support five children. She was desperate, and didn't have a pathway out of what her life had become. 

As they got to know her, Naomi and Megan realised that Maya had a passion for nail art. So they spoke with their hotel and asked if Maya could do manicures in the hotel lobby for guests. They supplied her with a start-up nail kit. Maya took the opportunity with both hands, and her business started to grow. A year later she was off the streets, and her children were thriving - in school, safe and happy. A cycle had been broken.

In that moment, the seeds of an idea were born: what if a business could be created, which would provide employment and freedom for people like Maya? We started to dream about creating a purposeful business to raise funds that would support survivors of trafficking, and provide them with the opportunities and confidence they need to break the cycle of re-trafficking.

We created HOLOS with this social purpose in mind, curating a small-batch product that could provide ample, entry level, meaningful roles for survivors of slavery in locations across the UK. The bigger we grow, the broader our impact.  

While on that same trip, Naomi and Megan also tried their first ever cup of a little drink called 'kombucha tea'... It helped settle their stomachs while miles from home, it was cleansing, rejuvenating and intriguing. This truly was a life changing adventure.

WHAT WE DO NOW

There are estimated to be over 120,000 slaves in the UK today. Many of them are working in the sex trade while others are forced into domestic servitude, manual labour or criminal activity.

Our mission is to equip and encourage survivors of slavery in the UK to gain meaningful employment through real life training, job opportunities and partnerships. Holos works with charity partners who provide accommodation, counseling and casework support for survivors of slavery, trauma and human-trafficking. Our partners then connect us to those who are ready and looking to learn new skills.

Our co-founders all have backgrounds in volunteering and have learnt first hand the power of opportunity and helping those in need. These opportunities can be life changing to exploited individuals, providing stepping stones towards financial independence and renewed hope. We're committed to the goal of working with survivors of trafficking to provide sustainable solutions for their future, to reduce the likelihood of further exploitation. 

25% of our original founders’ shares were set aside to create The HOLOS Foundation – a charitable body focused on rehabilitation for survivors of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking in the UK.

OUR VISION

Our mission is to inspire and equip businesses and communities with blueprints, just like this, that enable many more survivors of exploitation and trauma to rebuild their lives. We’re beginning that journey in West Sussex - where we’re equipping local families to host wholeness respite retreats for survivors through the Holos Foundation and our charity partners.

If you would like to explore partnership with HOLOS Kombucha, please contact naomi@holoslondon.com

Photographs taken by Megan are not of Maya and her name has been changed to protect her identity.