Saturday 7 March 2009
Help your mother help African Mothers on Mothers day
Mothering Sunday is almost here and I have a very specific request of you, Please help African mothers.
African mothers are still marginalized, excluded from formal employment but retain the responsibilities of ensuring that the family is fed and clothed. They are however not sitting at home, waiting for handouts. They have created some amazing fashion accessories, handicrafts and fashionable clothes, you could help them by buying these things. This would enable them to feed and send their children to school. This is a Win Win Win situation as you too will get a beautifully handcrafted gift for your dear mother who will be proud to have a son/daughter who cares for those less fortunate than she is!
Let me introduce you to Bianca a mother from Weybridge Surrey, doesn't she look beautiful in these clothes and accessories. Bainca is wearing a had that has been handmade by women in the Madagascan slums. The hat is handcrafted from Raffia.
http://www.ethnicsupplies.co.uk/shop/listing.asp?Category_ID=2
The basket that Bianca is carrying is handcrafted in SW Uganda. It is made from Papyrus and its colour is achieved by a mixture of tea and coffee
http://www.ethnicsupplies.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?Product_ID=331
Bianca's top and shorts are handmade by Mrs Mrema of Hand products of Tanzania, doesn't she look beautiful in it. With summer around the corner Iam sure your mother would appreciate this very much
Please note the Sandals that Bianca is wearing, these are handcrafted by Julia a masaai woman in Tanzania
Here is a selection of our handmade cotton bags. They are handmade by Marvelous Batik of Tanzania, this group work with women from the slums Dar es Salaam
http://www.ethnicsupplies.co.uk/shop/listing.asp?Category_ID=14
If you are looking for more inspiration on how to wear our ethical Fashion accessories please follow this link http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?id=5049591
Please note that Bianca's top and shorts are not on our website and if you are interested in getting hold of a apri for your dear Mother please drop us an email with her size.
Happy Mother's day and we look forward to hearing from you
Our shop is at wwww.ethnicsupplies.co.uk/shop
African mothers are still marginalized, excluded from formal employment but retain the responsibilities of ensuring that the family is fed and clothed. They are however not sitting at home, waiting for handouts. They have created some amazing fashion accessories, handicrafts and fashionable clothes, you could help them by buying these things. This would enable them to feed and send their children to school. This is a Win Win Win situation as you too will get a beautifully handcrafted gift for your dear mother who will be proud to have a son/daughter who cares for those less fortunate than she is!
Let me introduce you to Bianca a mother from Weybridge Surrey, doesn't she look beautiful in these clothes and accessories. Bainca is wearing a had that has been handmade by women in the Madagascan slums. The hat is handcrafted from Raffia.
http://www.ethnicsupplies.co.uk/shop/listing.asp?Category_ID=2
The basket that Bianca is carrying is handcrafted in SW Uganda. It is made from Papyrus and its colour is achieved by a mixture of tea and coffee
http://www.ethnicsupplies.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?Product_ID=331
Bianca's top and shorts are handmade by Mrs Mrema of Hand products of Tanzania, doesn't she look beautiful in it. With summer around the corner Iam sure your mother would appreciate this very much
Please note the Sandals that Bianca is wearing, these are handcrafted by Julia a masaai woman in Tanzania
Here is a selection of our handmade cotton bags. They are handmade by Marvelous Batik of Tanzania, this group work with women from the slums Dar es Salaam
http://www.ethnicsupplies.co.uk/shop/listing.asp?Category_ID=14
If you are looking for more inspiration on how to wear our ethical Fashion accessories please follow this link http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?id=5049591
Please note that Bianca's top and shorts are not on our website and if you are interested in getting hold of a apri for your dear Mother please drop us an email with her size.
Happy Mother's day and we look forward to hearing from you
Our shop is at wwww.ethnicsupplies.co.uk/shop
Monday 2 March 2009
Voices of FairTrade Part2- views from a Palestinian Olive Farmer
As part of Fairtrade week, I was invited to address folk at the Reigate fairtrade group in Surrey. I was one of the two speakers and the reason we were invited was to give real life examples of where trade has helped folk in the developing world out of poverty.
The other speaker was Mahmoud Issa a fairtrade olive farmer from Palestine.Read more about him at this link
http://www.co-operative.coop/en/membership/news/Ground-breaking-move-to-stock-Fairtrade-Palestinian-olive-oil/
It was interesting to listen to Mahmoud as he raised issues that I had discussed with folk on my other blog http://ethnicsupplies.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/how-much-do-folk-in-the-western-world-know-about-fairtrade/
Mahmoud, talked about the challenges that they have had to go through to get their olive oil accepted in The co-operative a UK supermarket, some of these were part of the course you would say such as ensuring that the product is safe, is acceptable to our pallets, this would give it a head start and sustainability in the market.
One of these issues is of compensation. Mahmoud noted that one of the challenges they face in Palestine is the wall that divides Palestine and Israel. This has had the effect that sometimes, only two members of the family can be let through to go and work on the farms on the other side of the wall, sometimes too folk get stranded on the other side of the wall and can't get back for hours until it is time for the wall to be opened.
He mentioned a farm that has lost a big chunk of its farm land to the "wall", this has meant that this land is not available for agriculture. He further sited a man that fell and broke his leg whilst harvesting olives, and because he fell on the wrong side of the wall medical care was not immediately available to him. Faced with such challenges it is no wonder that it has taken them 3 years to perfect their Olive oil he continued.
Mahmoud went on to say that the ideal for him and fellow farmers would be to be able to press their own oil and perhaps now that they have access to the UK market this was achievable. One of the other challenges was lack of storage/preservation methods, which means that the farmers ended up selling their olive very cheaply to neighbouring countries who in turn label it as their own and consequently it loses it's identity.
The issues raised by Mahmoud are incidentally not unique to Palestine and in fact go some way in validating my question as HOW MUCH FOLK IN WEST KNOW ABOUT FAIRTRADE. How do you compensate someone for a broken leg whilst picking Olives?
The other is one of value addition and I think Mahmoud articulated this very well. If the Palestine farmers are able to press their own Olive oil this is bound to increase their income more so than exporting the raw product.
If you use Oilve oil as part of your diet/cooking may I threfore urge you to seek out this particular brand. I am mindful that times are hard for us all and I would like to think that through my blogs I have helped to shed light as to why fairtrade prodcuts may cost a bit more than other varieties.
Please feel free to share your views with me on this matter
The other speaker was Mahmoud Issa a fairtrade olive farmer from Palestine.Read more about him at this link
http://www.co-operative.coop/en/membership/news/Ground-breaking-move-to-stock-Fairtrade-Palestinian-olive-oil/
It was interesting to listen to Mahmoud as he raised issues that I had discussed with folk on my other blog http://ethnicsupplies.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/how-much-do-folk-in-the-western-world-know-about-fairtrade/
Mahmoud, talked about the challenges that they have had to go through to get their olive oil accepted in The co-operative a UK supermarket, some of these were part of the course you would say such as ensuring that the product is safe, is acceptable to our pallets, this would give it a head start and sustainability in the market.
One of these issues is of compensation. Mahmoud noted that one of the challenges they face in Palestine is the wall that divides Palestine and Israel. This has had the effect that sometimes, only two members of the family can be let through to go and work on the farms on the other side of the wall, sometimes too folk get stranded on the other side of the wall and can't get back for hours until it is time for the wall to be opened.
He mentioned a farm that has lost a big chunk of its farm land to the "wall", this has meant that this land is not available for agriculture. He further sited a man that fell and broke his leg whilst harvesting olives, and because he fell on the wrong side of the wall medical care was not immediately available to him. Faced with such challenges it is no wonder that it has taken them 3 years to perfect their Olive oil he continued.
Mahmoud went on to say that the ideal for him and fellow farmers would be to be able to press their own oil and perhaps now that they have access to the UK market this was achievable. One of the other challenges was lack of storage/preservation methods, which means that the farmers ended up selling their olive very cheaply to neighbouring countries who in turn label it as their own and consequently it loses it's identity.
The issues raised by Mahmoud are incidentally not unique to Palestine and in fact go some way in validating my question as HOW MUCH FOLK IN WEST KNOW ABOUT FAIRTRADE. How do you compensate someone for a broken leg whilst picking Olives?
The other is one of value addition and I think Mahmoud articulated this very well. If the Palestine farmers are able to press their own Olive oil this is bound to increase their income more so than exporting the raw product.
If you use Oilve oil as part of your diet/cooking may I threfore urge you to seek out this particular brand. I am mindful that times are hard for us all and I would like to think that through my blogs I have helped to shed light as to why fairtrade prodcuts may cost a bit more than other varieties.
Please feel free to share your views with me on this matter
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