Did you know that October is Fair Trade Month? Sure, it’s almost over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate by purchasing fairly made products year round. Below are some of our recent favorites (including a few of our own products!) compiled by Emma, our fabulous fall intern. What fair trade products are on your wish list? Did you make any specific purchases to celebrate Fair Trade Month, or do you aim to buy fair trade whenever possible year round?
$15.00, emerald green, also available in cerise, purple, and turquoise
Traveling this holiday season? This eye-catching luggage tag will make sure you have no trouble finding your bag. Each tag measures 4 ¾” x 3 ¼” and is handmade by a family of artisans in New Delhi, India from recycled Saris.
Banana Bracelet on Indego Africa
$12.00, brown, also available in caramel and natural
Unique and affordable, this bracelet would be a great gift for girls and women of all ages. These bracelets are hand-crafted by women artisans from the Twiyubake Family cooperative in Kayonza. The banana leaves are twisted and stitched together with patience, precision, and great skill and finished with a steel button as the clasp.
Ivory Wool Triple Loop Scarf on Indego Africa
$60.00, ivory and cream, also available in saffron
Need to stay warm this winter? Do so with this loop of love. Created by women at the Ingenzi Knit Union this cozy, wool-acrylic-nylon blend, has endless versatility and appeal. Like all Indego Africa products, these scarves come with a tag signed personally by the artisan who created it, offering you a chance to better know one of these impressive entrepreneurial women.
Mai Rice Bowl Candles on Prosperity Candle
$17.50, available with feather, square, or petal design
Perfect as gifts or for yourself to brighten your own home, Mai Rice Bowl candles are elegant and distinctive. These candles are made with unscented soy blend wax with a cotton wick and poured by Burmese women who have recently resettled in the U.S. after fleeing persecution and living for years in refugee camps. Now they are perfecting their candle-making skills, supporting themselves and their families, and rebuilding their lives. The rice bowls are handmade by Mai Handicrafts, a group started by two social workers seeking to improve the lives of street children and single mothers in Vietnam. From start to finish this candle supports women and their families. And did we mention they’re on sale?!
Partners in Health: A brighter Future and Plate on Prosperity Candle
$28.00, deep berry soy blend
Doing good for the world and your home – this unscented, deep berry soy blend pillar candle is handmade by women entrepreneurs in Iraq with the support of our partner Women for Women International. Made from high quality U.S. and Canadian waxes and a natural cotton wick, this 3×4″ pillar will burns brightly for 80 hours. The new, larger 6″ candle plates are handcrafted in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti using recycled metal, each skillfully hammered and chiseled by hand, then finished to protect the metal.
Kyondo Bag on Serrv
$48.00
Universal and colorful, this bag has endless possibilities. Artisans in Kenya use vegetable dyes to give this sisal bag vibrant color and pattern, a symbol of the rhythm and beauty of Africa, derived from the style of basket traditionally given as a wedding gift. Zipper set into top; trim and strap made from recycled tanned leather. Interior has black cotton lining and a single zippered pocket. 9 3/4 in. l x 14 1/2 in. w, strap: 45 in. l
Colors of the Rainbow Necklace on Global Girlfriend
$14.95
This vibrant necklace is sure to win you compliments. Each of these tiny seed beads is hand-selected and hand-strung to create a dazzling effect. Each necklace is made by an artisan group in Nepal creating employment for women and improving economic conditions for their families.
Freeset Happy Flowers Market Bag on Global Girlfriend
$10.00, available in brown and gray
Perfect for a morning at the farmers market or a day at work, this tote will hold everything you need. Each bag is handmade by women rescued from sex traffickers in Calcutta and tells the story of their journey to freedom. They lead by example, becoming role models for their daughters and breaking the cycle of poverty with their opportunity to become literate. By purchasing this bag, you are helping the environment and you become a vital part of their journey to economical and spiritual freedom.
