Howdy Y’all! It’s me, Chief Becca!
Greetings, Fair Traders!
Just me being excited about fair trade and elephants!
It’s me, Becca! I’m brand spankin’ new to blog world, so allow me to briefly introduce myself:
I began volunteering at Ten Thousand Villages of Austin (TTVoA) in March 2010, shortly after attending a mandatory “fair trade vs. free trade” workshop at St. Edward’s University. About a year after that, I happily accepted a lead volunteer position and took on some outreach and education roles for TTVoA and for Fair Trade Towns USA, Austin. I’ve taken part in several TTVoA events, such as the first and second film festivals, the first and third One Reason Why events, this last year’s World Fair Trade Day celebration, and a handful of other small projects. I began my interim position at the store as “Chief Storyteller” in September, and have since collected information on various artisan groups from around the world that I will be sharing with you here. (We’ve got some catching up to do!)
I’m so excited to share what I’ve learned with you here! For me, the most wonderful thing about fair trade is developing a connection between the producer and the consumer. The holidays are coming up, so it’s important to remember when we give our loved ones a fair trade gift, you’re not only giving a product, you’re giving a story of growth, triumph and empowerment.
With Love,
Chief Becca
good evening chief! this makes me very VERY happy:)
Josh – If you don’t know much about Fair Trade – I highly recommend looking into it. Since I discovered the movement I have been so much happier with myself…not to mention I never see anybody else wearing the same outfit as myself 😉
Becca – the elephant nose and red hair is fashion statement of the century. You look Hot!…ok maybe that’s a little weird 😉
Katt!
That’s not weird at all! Haha, thank you! And you’re right…. while wearing fair trade, people will always compliment!
And Josh,
She’s right! Fair Trade purchases can make one feel very satisfied. It’s “guilt free shopping” as they say. And there are many fair trade products available….. I’ve found fair trade sugar and coffee in most grocery stores. Fair Trade chocolate is not as available, but also common. And with a little digging you can find Fair Trade produce and handicrafts in some unexpected places!
Here’s a list of some unexpected fair trade products I found awhile back:
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/10/10-unexpected-fair-trade-certified-products/
Let me know how your research is going!