Fair Trade Artisans depend on your ongoing generosity

During these hard economic times, many people tend to overlook the fact that Western peoples are the saving grace of third world and developing countries.
Many fair trade artisans and producers thrive on our "generosity" in order to survive --
a hand up, rather than a hand out.

I have recently partnered with a wonderful fair trade website store, called
One Village Gifts
www.onevillagegifts.com.

Please watch this video:
http://www.onevillagegifts.com/viewourvideo.html

Some fair trade enterprises One Village Gifts supports:

"Aid to Artisans has partnered with the BAT Shop in the Pan-African Artisan Enterprise Development (PAED) program to bring contemporary product development and sales know-how to South African artisans. The BAT Shop is a for-profit enterprise that focuses its activities on product development, marketing and sales of high quality craft made in the KwaZulu Natal Province. It is affiliated with the Bartel Arts Trust (BAT), an art development and community center in Durban. BAT Shop staff work with many different producer groups in rural and urban settings, who produce baskets made of natural materials, telephone wire and an assortment of beaded accessories. Through these efforts women who have lost their husbands to war or AIDS now have a means to support themselves and their children."

"Every purchase of a Freeset tote tells a story of one woman's journey to freedom. She used to stand with 6,000 other prostitutes in a small but well known area of North Calcutta. She didn't choose her profession; it chose her. Poverty does that. It robs people of their dignity and children of their innocence. She still lives in the same area, but instead of selling her body she makes Freeset Bags. Now she has choices, the choice to work decent hours for decent pay, to re-establish her dignity in her community and to learn to read and write."

Through our partners EDImports and One World Projects, we were introduced to the products of about 50 weavers in the Rwandan province of Gitarama. There they established the core base of women who formed the cooperative from which we buy.

We hope you'll support these African women, and artisans like them in other countries, by purchasing their fair trade goods.

Please join me in my new venture to give these artisans and producers a hand-up and let me know if you wish to be invited to an Online Party, soon? There is jewellery, handbags, chocolate, tea and coffee, etc. to choose from.. These items come from artisans around the world -- Kenya, Nepal, India, the Amazon, South Africa, and Rwanda. These handicrafts, etc. make great gifts!

I have worked with One Village Gifts to make shipping easy and inexpensive for Canadians. Please E-mail me, today, at mecraver@mocragifts.com with the message:

"I want to Party!"

Please invite your family and friends, too, and do a world of good, today.

Thank you.