Fair Trade only works because people believe in it and "vote" for it with their shopping dollars. Whether it's coffee or chocolate or our KVI products, it first takes people to believe that EVERYONE ~ from the producer to the retailer ~ has a right to make a fair and living wage.
Subsequently it requires individuals to choose to spend their money purchasing Fair Trade products.
DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL FRIDAY OCTOBER 30 11:59 PM
It's that time again! Yup, you guessed it, "It's Fun Friday Time!!"
We're asking you to leave a fun, witty caption for the above photo. And, we'd also like you to tell us how many KVI products are in this picture.
The best caption with the correct number of products wins!!! Your prize is a FREE KVI pen and 20% discount on any 1 KVI product of your choice. (The holiday season is coming up so why not give a gift that gives two smiles - one to one of our suppliers so they are that much further away from falling victim to human trafficking and one to the great person you gave the gift to.)
To enter leave your response in the comments section of this post. On Saturday we'll announce the winner and we'll repost the picture with your caption.
Have a fabulous Friday!!
*disclaimer: This competition is for retail customers only. Because we want to give EVERYONE a chance to win, you can only win once each month. But don't quit entering! We love to see everyone's creativity. Also we can only send the pen to US addresses but fear not we can send the coupon anywhere in the world so there's still something for our international readers!
July was another busy month with both retail and wholesale shows. We had a few "drenchings" (in both Fair Haven and Geneseo), quick turn-arounds between shows, and as much time in hotels as at home! We're glad that the pace is a bit "lighter" in August, which will give us an opportunity to catch up a bit with things that have gotten set to the side (including yard work).
On a more somber note, I want to update you on how two of our artisans are being impacted by current events.
Honduras: Hopefully you have been following (at least to SOME level) thepolitical crisis unfolding in Honduras. I can't tell you how the crisis in Tegucigalpa is affecting people "on the street" in the Gulf Coast city of Trujillo, but anytime there is political unrest in a country where tourism is a significant part of the economy, there's bound to be a decrease in tourist traffic. (This is a link to an annoucement by the US embassy discouraging travel to Honduras).
So even if things start picking up in the global economy, we can expect that it will be quite some time before tourist dollars start flowing freely in Trujillo. That makes our supplier Maria, and the others at the Made In Honduras co-operative, significantly dependant on what we (and others) sell outside the country.
Kenya: Just this week I received an email from Eunice Kasisi, who makes our "marbled" and bamboo jewelry. (Click this link for more about Eunice.) Things are very difficult in Kenya. On top of the political crisis there in 2008, the global recession, and the seventh year of drought, it appears that people in both government and business have been "manipulating" the price of food staples like maize for their own profit.
Food has become outrageously expensive for the poor of Kenya, with the result that there is nothing left over for other necessities of life. Eunice is the caregiver for her brother's two children since he passed away. Last week they were "chased from school" because she couldn't pay the school fees. (There are fees even for "public" school in Kenya.) She was asking if we have any business for her, and I had to tell her that at this point, we simply don't need any additional jewelry.
We're not telling you these stories to discourage you or to stir up feelings of guilt. That's not what we're about. But we DO want to encourage you to consider KVI and other Fair Trade businesses when you do need to make a purchase. And encourage your friends to visit us and other Fair Trade e-tailers. All of us thank you!
We wish all of you a great month!
Honduran immigrants speak about recent events in Honduras surrounding President Zelaya.
When Marita first created this blog, I thought “Why have a blog about Fair Trade Marketing on a site targeted at RETAIL customers?” Then I realized, in the Fair Trade movement, we ALL need to “market” Fair Trade because a large percentage of those around us don’t “get” it!
So, dear Retail Customer, most of the posts from Rebecca and I are aimed at giving YOU, our Fair Trade Retail Customer, tools that will make you a successful “cheerleader” (Marketer) for Fair Trade.
Last weekend, Rebecca wrote that you can choose to make a difference. I’m going to pick up on that theme and take it a bit further.
We all know that we’re in the midst of the most serious economic downturn in most of our lifetimes. With sincere apologies to those who are out of work, and those who have seen their savings evaporate, let me suggest that things are much worse in other parts of the world.
There are few people left who were of working age during the Great Depression, so there are few of us who remember what it was like before Unemployment Insurance, FDIC, Social Security, Medicare, and other social “safety nets” that we take for granted in the US.
But in most of the world’s poorest countries, there ARE no “safety nets”. While US newspapers run headlines like “Americans scaling back on vacations”, in other parts of the world the question is whether or not there will be any food today.
Fair Trade helps to address this issue by ensuring that those who work get a living wage for their work. For an organization to achieve (and maintain) Fair Trade certification, it must demonstrate that a process is in place to determine that living wage which will then serve as a “minimum wage” for all its workers.
Does this mean that Fair Trade goods cost more? Perhaps. The goal is to “trade justly”, not to "get mine". And besides, there is actually a “hidden” economic benefit to those of us in the developed world. I’ll delve into that in my next post. Until then - Trade Fair!
This blog is affiliated with KVI (Kingdom Ventures Inc. ), an e-tailer of Fair Trade products such as handmade jewelry, scarves and handbags.
KVI was started by Glenn and Rebecca Fadner - and you can read all about our story here.
This blog is our entrepreneurial journey into the world of Fair Trade. And we want to take you along for the ride! We’ll show you how promoting fair trade practices helps make a difference in the lives of people around the world. We'll share with you why we've made the choices we've made in life and what continually motivates us to help others. We also hope to inspire you to do great things in your life and in the world.
We hope you'll find this blog's content informative, inspiring and uplifting. Use it to learn about Fair Trade and the rich culture of our artisans; use it to find out about developments in Fair Trade; or use it to educate us and other readers about how we can further effect positive change in the world!
