Updated Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Celebrate World Fair Trade Day May 10 with WorldCrafts

By Lynn Groom

Woman's Missionary Union

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Raima, a hearing-impaired craftsperson in Mauritius, is part of an artisan group called CraftAid that provides jobs for people with disabilities. While working with her artisan group, she met her husband, Tana, who is also hearing-impaired. The couple now have a son and provide for their family by making unique handcrafted cards sold through WorldCrafts. They have learned that deafness does not handicap their hope.

Around the globe, the hope for a brighter future will be celebrated on May 10, World Fair Trade Day. But WorldCrafts, a non-profit ministry of Woman's Missionary Union (WMU), celebrates the importance of fair trade and transforming lives of the underserved every day.

For 12 years, WorldCrafts has sought out impoverished artisans in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Far East and provided a market in North America for their handmade crafts. Each piece is created by hand, never factory produced or rushed to meet quotas. These crafts guilds and leaders always abide by Fair Trade Federation guidelines that specify fair wages and humane, voluntary working conditions for the artisans.

"The fact that WorldCrafts is a fair trade company adds value to our products and provides stability and sustainable income for our artisans," said Andrea Mullins, WorldCrafts director.

According to Mullins, WorldCrafts commits to pay artisans a fair price that covers not only their costs, but also insures sustainable production. Many times, WorldCrafts provides a partial advance on payments to the artisans, enabling them to hire more people and purchase raw materials needed for the craft.

"We are committed to our artisans for the long term to maintain certain levels of product orders, investing in product development for long-term planning, as well as sustainable production practices," Mullins said. "WorldCrafts encourages artisans to set prices that allow them to invest in the growth of their business. These standards guarantee impoverished families hope for a better life."

WorldCrafts items have been sold at hundreds of church and community events and home parties. Purchases of handmade WorldCrafts transform the lives of artisans, their families - and often their entire communities - through providing income for housing, education, nutrition, and imparting a sense of dignity.

For more information about WorldCrafts, visit www.WorldCraftsVillage.com. For more information on World Fair Trade Day, visit http://www.wftday.org/english/index.htm.