While most blog readers think of our partners at SERRV, based in Madison, Wisconsin, as the folks behind Work of Human Hands sales and beautiful Fair Trade catalogs, staff members such as Jean Johnson travel around the world giving technical assistance and training to artisans striving to enter and stay in the Fair Trade marketplace.  Thanks to the Fair Trade Fund, and with the encouragement of CRS-Mali staff, Jean is now traveling with a couple of SERRV volunteers to Mopti, Mali where they will be training fistula victims at a clinic there.  One traveler, Julie a SERRV board member, shared these impressions:

Bonjour from the “Venice of Africa,”

That’s what Mopti is called by one of our guidebooks, and we agree!

We have had our first meeting with the women of Delta Survie today, having met with Ibrahimi, Oumar, and other administrators yesterday to review the agenda for the week.  Jean presented the SERRV organization to a large group of very interested women dressed in colorful outfits, scarves and jewelry.   We have a wonderful interpreter who must put English into two native dialects for the women.  The women especially enjoyed seeing their necklaces in the SERRV and CRS catalogs and looking at what other producers make for SERRV.  

Keith, a volunteer product designer, and I introduced ourselves. The translator enjoyed miming my presentation when I talked about making a boutique so beautiful that people riding by on motorcyles would stop in their tracks and back up to make a purchase.  The women had a good laugh.

Next, the women showed us the jewelry they have made and sold to tourists. They have some beautiful top sellers that we hope to adapt for our market.  We discussed which designs would interest our consumer. The women are full of smiles and desire to make more jewelry for us.

Here at CRS Fair Trade we hope internet connections continue to allow us to receive more dispatches from Mali, and we thank Jean, Julie and Keith for sharing their experiences.

Women recovering from fistula treatment use jewelry as a way to earn income. Photo courtesy of SERRV.

Tags: crafts, fair trade, fair trade jewelry, fistula, mali, SERRV

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