Fair Trade Sale at Resurrection Catholic Church Nov. 12 & 13

In India, an old lady knits scarves in a corner of the kitchen in her

son's home. Her handiwork is sold through Fair Trade venues. She is able

to earn her keep and be a contributing member of her family. In Sarajevo,

Bosnian women - Serbs, Muslims, and Croats - believe in the possibility of

a multi-ethnic society and are working together to heal the wounds created

when war which ravaged their country. They are skilled embroiderers. Many

are refugees or lost their homes, husbands or fathers during the Balkan

war of the mid-1990s. Through Fair Trade these women are able to rebuild

their lives and create a future for their children.

The Songkhem Collection (songkhem means 'hope" in the Khmer language) from

Cambodia highlights VillageWorks' products, particularly handwoven silk &

cotton scarves, pillow covers, and handbags.Scarves are one of the more

popular items available at Resurrection's annual Fair Trade sale, which

will be held this year on Saturday, November 12th from 10:00 AM until 5:00

PM and Sunday, November 13th from noon until 4:00 PM. Each one is unique,

has a story, and allows a woman to create a better life for themselves and

their families."

Income from our scarves means my three teenage sons can have enough to eat

as they grow. I hope you see our scarves and love them and buy them so we

have more work and income to care for our children. My dream is for them

to go to university." - Nyugen Thi Nga,Vietnam.

Typically, shoppers to this annual event also spend quite a bit of time

browsing and selecting from the jewelry offerings. Some of the jewelry and

ordainments are crafted at the Bombolulu Workshops in Kenya. This

organization provides disabled artisans with training in jewelry making,

screen printing, wood carving and crafting which provides them with a

dignified way of earning income. They also provide housing and assistance

with medical care. Bombolulu's motto is 'Disability is not Inability.'

SERRV is the nonprofit agency that supplies the wonderful myriad of

inventory offered at Resurrection's Fair Trade sale. SERRV's mission is to

eradicate poverty wherever it resides by providing opportunity and support

to artisans and farmers worldwide. Often they work through local craft and

farmer's co-ops and non-profit associations. Craft Link, a non-profit

organization, works to assist small Vietnamese craft producers find market

opportunities and to promote awareness of ethnic minority crafts and

culture. Living in rural hilly and mountainous areas, the hill tribes have

little access to markets. This organization also provides marketing,

design, and management advice to other disadvantaged groups, like street

children and people with disabilities. Craft Link's ceramics, long-time

best sellers with customers, come from Bat Trang, a small village on the

Red River, which has been famous for its ceramics since the 15th

century.Another non-profit, Delta Survie, is located in Mali. This center

provides support services to women who are recovering from obstetric

fistula. In Mali, one of the poorest countries of the world, women often

don't have access to basic health care. Obstetric fistulas can be caused

by prolonged labor, lack of pre-natal care, childbirth at an early age,

and malnutrition. Women who suffer with obstetric fistulas are often

shunned by their husbands and communities because of the infertility,

incontinence and infections the condition can cause.

At Delta Survie, the women find acceptance and a supportive community. As

they undergo medical treatment, which often means several surgeries, Delta

Survie trains the women to produce handcrafts, generating income for them

while they recover and developing skills which can be used in the future

to help support their families. The women at Delta Survie create jewelry

that expresses the beauty and vibrancy of the culture of Mali. The light

work of jewelry making is a perfect occupation for the women who are at

different stages of recovery and need frequent periods of rest. Many of

the baskets offered at Resurrection's Fair Trade sale are stunning in

their vibrant colors and craftsmanship. With the second highest birth rate

in the world, Ugandans struggle to provide for their families. SERRV

partners with rural artisans to promote the sale of their traditional

baskets, which allows mothers to afford medical care and education for

their children. Earning their own income has meant that women are able to

make decisions and be less dependent on men for accessing their basic

needs like food, shelter, health and education for their children. SHARE,

the Self Help Association for Rural Education and Employment, is proud to

be an organization of women, for women, and by women. Their crafts project

reaches over 400 women basket makers from 30 groups in the southern Indian

province of Tamil Nadu. At the heart of SHARE's work is the belief that

economic self-reliance is an important step in the development of women

and their communities. When you purchase a basket from SHARE, you can be

sure that behind it stand strong women, organizing to improve their lives.

Support of the women who weave the distinctive and brightly-colored bolga

baskets preserves a craft with generations long history. They use

sustainable materials such as sturdy elephant grass, which grows along

rivers and streams, and other natural fibers.Join with us as we strive to

enrich lives around the world and to inspire real change for the better.

And walk away with a unique gift for yourself, your home your family or

friends.