U is for Umtha, in South Aftrica

Umtha, in South Africa created this lovely charm bracelet.  The charms are symbols from the life of Jesus.

Bringing light and hope to unemployed women in South Africa’s Cape Town region is what Cheryl and Dave Milligan are passionate about. That is why their organisation is called Umtha ‑ ‘ray of light’ in the local Xhosa language.

Umtha’s roots are modest. One rainy afternoon in 1991, Dave, himself unemployed, wandered into a craft shop. Picking up a few beads, he made a necklace for his wife Cheryl. Dave found new inspiration in this creativity and started making more beaded jewellery to sell in tourist areas. Before long, Cheryl joined him in the new venture and then they employed two Xhosa women to work with them. ‘As we started to see the potential for the business, God really gave us a heart for the poor and challenged us to make a contribution towards the restitution of a post-apartheid South Africa,’ says Dave.

Today Umtha employs 40 people. Cheryl explains, ‘It’s more than just production ‑ it’s about teamwork and providing sustainable incomes, while creating jewellery of world-class quality.’

Umtha’s vision is to release the potential in the hearts and minds of South Africans, helping them to overcome poverty and deprivation. It comes to fruition in people like Tabisa, who since joining the Umtha team six years ago has excelled in learning beadwork skills. She is now both a necklace maker and the office receptionist. The work provides her with regular income ‑ and also the support she has needed to cope with the death of her baby from pneumonia and the health consequences of having TB herself. ‘If Umtha wasn’t there, I don’t know what I would do,’ says Tabisa. Now she has new dreams for the future: ‘I would love to be married and I want to extend my house. I think it is possible – only God knows.’

T is for Traditions

T is for Traditions.  Christmas carols, decorating the tree, festive food and the giving of gifts that show you care - it’s these timeless and meaningful traditions that are some of the warmest, most wonderful aspects of Christmas.   Fair Trade promotes traditional crafts and helps revive dying arts and skills, providing artisans with a livelihood, and revitalising craft communities.  This Christmas you can start a wonderful new tradition, the tradition of giving fair trade gifts.  Buying fair trade makes a a real difference to the lives of artisans and their families in the developing world.

A to Z of a Fair Trade Christmas and S is for Saint Mary’s, of Ahmadabad, India

We have a couple of lovely Christmas Gifts from St. Marys.

Lined cotton bag with sequin and bead hand-embroidered design   

St. Mary’s Mahila Shikshan Kendra, is a non profit Women’s Handicraft Organization run by the Dominican Sisters of the Rosary in Gomtipur, Ahmadabad since 1970. They are committed to the development of economically and socially marginalized women in Gomtipur, a slum pocket of Ahmadabad. St. Mary’s aims to give employment with fair wages to women of Gomtipur from minority social, cultural and religious groups. Working together as a group in the Centre the women develop a sense of community.

Hand-embroidered cotton rucksack and matching
 pencil case set, for smaller children

St. Mary’s concentrates mainly on hand embroidery in cotton; using their indigenous craftsmanship, these women immigrants produce high quality mirror work and embroidery in traditional designs. Their products include cushion covers, letter boxes, bags, purses, bed spreads, table cloths and Christmas presents.  By adhering to very high standards of quality control, they try their best to inspire in them a deep sense of self-respect and integrity of character, earning their own hard earned wages without any trace of pity or condescension, thus bringing them in touch with their own basic human dignity. Besides their rightful wages, all surplus profits or producer dividends are shared with the women.

The Sisters also have a dispensary, a maternity clinic and medical centre called ‘St. Mary’s Nursing Home’, they run health programmes, saving schemes, loans especially for educational and health purposes, a government recognised course for women in sewing, embroidery and design and also educational scholarships for their children. They ensure that the women send their children to school and educate them and avoid child labour. In many cases when the women are incapable of paying the fees, and educating their children especially the girls they help them by paying their fees etc.

We are on the last hurdle of our A – Z of a Fair Trade Christmas and today it is R

R is for Ring and aren’t these rings lovely? They would make the perfect accessory for a Christmas outfit. At only €9.95 each they are also nice to your pocket. Both of these cocktail rings are made from freshwater pearls and semi precious chippings and would make a great accessory for a special occasion this summer. They are adjustable to fit most sizes.

These lovely Fair Trade rings are from Lotusfeet and are made in the Philippines. The co-operative producing this jewellery is made up of sixty women, and was specifically set up to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for families and communities displaced from their homes by a major hydro-electric project. Nearly 800 households were affected by the project.

Both rings are available for immediate despatch from Arusha Fair Trade.

R is also for Recycled

R is also for Recycled and there is a wide variety of fair trade goods available made from recycled goods. For example, you can buy recycled bowls, jewellery, pens, pencils and even laptop bags from recycled rubber.

We are particularly fond of these two bowls made in India from recycled aluminium. Either would provide a great talking point as a gift at a Christmas dinner party.



Square Platter made from recycled aluminum



Black and White Swirl Dip Tray alsofrom recycled aluminum



Christmas Delivery Deadlines

To ensure delivery in time for Christmas 2010 your order should be placed before the following times/dates:



Dublin                                           10am 24th December


Rest of Ireland including N.I.      Midday 20th December

Great Britain                                10pm 18th December

All orders, including those for the rest of the world, will continue to be despatched as they are received, however if order is received after the relevant deadline it may not arrive until January 2011.

Q is for quality.

Fair Trade Produces Quality


Workers in developing countries are just like you and I, when we know that our work is appreciated and fairly remunerated we take more interest in what we are doing. Quite simply, when artisans know they receive a fair, living wage for their work, they can focus on their work, focus on creativity, focus on good materials, and focus on quality.

Fair trade produces quality, empowers producers, fuels creativity and fosters respect and peace. Producers have a quality of life that would not be possible for them under the free trade system.

P is for Picture Frame.

We have a number of lovely fair trade frames suitable for a Christmas Gift. Send us a photo of your family and we will put it into your chosen frame before gift wrapping and sending to your loved one. There is no charge for this service.  Order the frame, tick the gift wrapping box at check out and tell us in the comment box that you will be sending on a photo, then email the photo to info@arushafairtrade.com

This service applies to digital photos only, please make sure your image fits the 4 x 6 frame.

Continuing our A to Z of a Fair Trade Christmas and we are on the letter O

O is for organic.  Why not give a very conventional Christmas gift an ethical twist with these fairly traded black beauties. They are made of organic cotton and we have just reduced the price by 25%

These socks were produced by Craft Aid in Mauritius, a non profit-making organisation dedicated to the welfare of disabled people. It was created in the year 1982. Their main objective is to provide paid employment to the disabled and rehabilitate them in society. The workforce includes a significant number of mentally and physically handicapped persons as well as mute and deaf persons.

“Cotton is one of the most pest-prone crops grown, and in parts of the world like West Africa, where the cotton is rain-fed (not irrigated), chemical pesticides and insecticides account for much as 60 per cent of the farmer's costs. But the loss in fertility of his intensively farmed soil, the subsidies paid in other countries that price him out of the market and the high risk of pesticide poisoning, mean that even if the farmer can sell his cotton he is unlikely to make a profit. He then ends up spiralling into debt as money is borrowed at usury rates to start the process all over again in the next growing season.

None of that information is new. Ethical consumers have for some time now been aware of the environmental and social costs of cotton production, and increasingly recognise that organic cotton is a sustainable alternative.

Organic cotton eliminates the need for expensive agrochemical inputs, which immediately cuts costs and demands a higher market price, meaning the farmer stands a better chance of working his way out of poverty. It is this knowledge that has driven the demand for organic cotton, now available in some product lines on most of the high street”. (www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments 7th December 2010)



A – Z Guide to a Fair Trade Christmas – N is for Nativity Set

One of our Fair Trade Nativity Set would certainly be a talking point in your home this Christmas.  Our set from Madagascar depicts very tall elegant figurines beautifully hand carved.  While the set from Peru contains a llama instead of a sheep.  Or choose a set from Indonesia where the hand painted characters are wearing native Indonesian dress.

They come in different sizes so you can choose which would be most suitable for you Christmas Crib scene.  You can purchase them online and prices start at less than €20.

A – Z Guide to a Fair Trade Christmas – M is for Music

One of the reasons we decided to do this A-Z of Christmas on our blog was to let people know about the wide variety of fair trade goods there are available.  One thing I don’t think people would associate with Fair Trade is musical instruments.  We have a range of percussion instruments, from a lovely Gecko Clacker for little hands to a full size Jammer Djembe.

They are all made in Indonesia by local artists, communities and craftsmen. Producers represent the five main religions and both male and female craftsmen are employed through the various stages of the production process. This helps to 

further maintain a social balance in these areas. Producers are allowed to dictate prices and these prices are above local averages. 

A – Z Guide to a Fair Trade Christmas – L is for Light

Candles certainly do their part in creating a Christmas atmosphere in your home.  This Tree Tealight is very popular this year and would look lovely in your home.  

It is made of polished aluminum by Noah’s Ark in India.  You can purchase it online from our store here.

A – Z Guide to a Fair Trade Christmas – K is for Kenya

Tigers Eye & gold plated triangle necklace

We have a range of traditional, ethnic fair trade fashion jewellery which is skilfully produced by physically challenged artisans in Kenya, who would otherwise be homeless and destitute. 

Their fair trade jewellery collection has received international acclaim for their exclusive African designs and excellent finishes and demonstrates fantastic fair trade crafts.

A – Z Guide to a Fair Trade Christmas – J is for Jewellery Box

A Jewellery Box makes a nice gift for Christmas and there is a lovely fair trade selection available starting at just €19.95.  Made in India you can choose from boxes made from saris, or silk and skilfully decorated with embroidery. They are all beautifully finished inside. A good reason for purchasing fair trade items like this is to create a demand which helps to keep ancient craft skills alive within the communities of indigenous people.  

A – Z Guide to a Fair Trade Christmas – I is for Indonesia

Indonesia has seen great turmoil in recent years, having faced the Asian financial crisis, the fall of President Suharto after 32 years in office, the first free elections since the 1960s, the loss of East Timor, independence demands from restive provinces, bloody ethnic and religious conflict and a devastating tsunami.

There are a number of brilliant fair trade projects operating in Indonesia, usually supplementing the income of subsistence farmers.  This lovely nativity set, made by Pekerti, is guaranteed to be a talking point in any home this Christmas, the bright hand- painted colours on these six wooden figures are inspired by the Dayak traditional dress.  Pekerti (Indonesian People's Folk-Art and Handicraft Foundation), is a social development agency formed in Jakarta, 1975. Its mandate is to supplement the incomes of subsistence farmers and rural people through the development and sale of traditional fair trade crafts and folks art.  Pekerti trains and gives assistance to the producers to market domestically. They also give services in marketing, especially in export marketing, which cannot be done by the producers themselves. Pekerti also gives the producers an advanced payment for the producers and also a credit scheme for investment.

                     

Our range of musical instruments is also produced in Indonesia by local artists, communities and craftsmen. Producers represent the five main religions and both male and female craftsmen are employed through the various stages of the production process. This helps to further maintain a social balance in these areas. Producers are allowed to dictate prices and these prices are above local averages.   In return they supply high quality products and there is an attention to detail that surpasses products made under factory or other mass-production conditions. This rewards the high quality craftsmen and encourages other importers to work with the high quality artists above other producers. 

 Child labour is not used but the part-time training of older youths is encouraged. These trainees remain in education and they receive a full wage for the time that they spend working. This will ensure that they have a career to follow upon leaving school (if they choose to do so) and will help to sustain the community for successive generations.  All raw materials are sustainable and legal. No poached or endangered woods are used. No toxic or harmful materials are to be used in the production process and any waste created must be disposed of in an ecologically sound manner.

We’re up to H in our A – Z Guide to a Fair Trade Christmas and we’d like to introduce you to Hatti Bags from Nepal.

All of our products come with wonderful stories of the people making them but the story of Hatti Bags is one of our favouries.  These beautiful bags, which can be bought in our online store, are made by girls rescued from Indian circuses by the Esther Benjamins Trust.

Shoulder Bag with embroidery
 inspired by Sari prints

In 2002 the EBT sent research teams to the 30 major Indian circuses. At great personal danger, teams identified 232 children under the age of 14, 82% of them girls and nearly all Nepalese. Most of the children had been trafficked at the age of 8 or 9 (although some had been as young as 5). They told how their village communities had been preyed upon by professional agents who had tricked their impoverished and illiterate parents into handing them over to the circus for just a few dollars.

Thumbprints on documents that the naïve parents could not read condemned their children to an 18-hour per day, seven days per week routine for the next 10 to 15 years. Inadvertently they were also handing over their children to a life of malnourishment, harsh training schedules and vicious beatings by the circus staff. Frequently the girls would also be sexually assaulted.

Bold rescue teams were sent to confront the circus owners and use all legal means on the ground to secure freedom. This high-risk process led to the release of over 200 trafficking victims during the period 2003 - 2006. The youngest children who return from the circuses can mostly - and safely - be reunited with their parents and join school at an appropriate age.

Buckled leather bag.

Available in Black or Tan

For the older girls who might lack the academic ability or interest in joining formal education there is a skills training project to help them get back on their feet and gain an independent life, however, it has became evident that securing jobs for the returnees is virtually impossible due to the social stigma associated with being trafficked. So in 2005, instead of trying to secure outside employment for the girls the EBT, in conjunction with Hatti Trading (UK) set up a handbag production centre under Fair Trade conditions to provide a realistic economic alternative to being re-trafficked. 

In June 2007,  Hatti took on responsibility for the production centre and set up an independent private, but not for profit, company called Hatti Production Pvt Ltd. They still work in exactly the same way, providing training and jobs for young women rescued by The Esther Benjamins Trust and the charity is still close on hand to look out for the girls’ welfare, but the production centre is now an independent entity.

What wasn't anticipated at the time was the impact it would have on the girls who worked there; suddenly, they transitioned from being ‘charity cases’ to independent professional young women working for a foreign organisation. Their self esteem went through the roof; finally they could hold their head up high when asked what they do. At the same time there was a move to a new premises so the locals had no knowledge of what they had come from, and the girls could at last truly move on from their past.

Hatti started with 8 girls, there are now 17, plus Ritu, the Production Centre Manager, Shanti, the House Mother and two security guards. Some girls are now living with relatives locally and there has even been a wedding recently. The main difference now is that the girls are empowered to make their own choices and have the confidence to do so.  You might be interested in reading more about  the Esther Benjamins Trust and their work with children and young girls rescued from Indian circus: http://www.ebtrust.org.uk/  

G is for Gifts. The A - Z Guide to a Fair Trade Christmas

G is for Gifts. This Christmas why not start a new tradition and buy fair trade gifts for your family and friends? For hundreds of thousands of people, Fair Trade means the difference between a hand-to-mouth existence, and being able to plan for the future.

There are some misconceptions that buying fair trade means sacrificing quality. This is not the case. Fairly paid artisans take pride in their work. Goods are often handmade, which translates into closer attention to detail and in the end higher-quality products.

Fair Trade means fair wages, safe working conditions and long-term, stable business partnerships for disadvantaged artisans and producers. It also offers the comfort of knowing that there was no child labour involved in your purchase. Your purchase makes a difference.

At Arusha we offer beautiful Fair Trade certified gifts; arts and handcrafts from the world's artisans. Why not try our gift selector?