Up Close With the Work of Human Hands

I carefully watch Atule Nyaba hands to study her weaving technique.

She shows me how to roll the elephant grass and moves it rapidly back and forth. It looks easy, but when I try it, I fail miserably and we both get a huge laugh!

Carla Aguilar/CRS

Atule Nyaba is part of a Fair Trade co-operative group of basket weavers in Bolgatanga, Ghana.

The groups of women come from 17 different communities and are supported through Trade Aid International, a non-governmental organization in Ghana that works to generate employment and wealth for the rural poor. In Bolga, located in the Upper East region of Ghana, 90% of people live below the poverty line.

Life is tough for many in Bolga, but Catholic Relief Services seeks to empower women like Atule Nyaba by making her brightly colored and beautifully woven baskets available for sale to U.S. consumers through the Work of Human Hands catalogs.

The Work of Human Hands catalogs are produced twice a year in collaboration with CRS’ non-profit partner SERRV.

Through Fair Trade partnerships, women at the cooperative are able to get a better price than selling the baskets locally. A Bolgatanga Basket is sold online through SERRV for approximately $39.00.

A fair wage makes it easier for women to invest in things like taking care of medical costs or food for their families. When there are dire emergencies, these women have set-up a communal bank fund from which they can draw from to help themselves.

At our meeting, the women spoke to us through an interpreter about their hopes in life. What they wanted most is to raise their families with dignity and be able to provide them food, shelter, security, and education.

I was overwhelmed to know that these are the goals of the CRS Fair Trade program too; to empower disadvantaged people, and reduce poverty so that people may be more able to have sustainable livelihoods and access to basic rights that many take for granted in the developed world.

As the meeting came to a close, the women proudly showed us their finished products and many delegates had the treat of being able to purchase items and embrace the producer.

Carla Aguilar/CRS

As I witnessed this, I thought to myself, now that is what I call building a right relationship between buyers and sellers rooted in the principle of solidarity!

We departed with the sounds of a joyous song and clapping by the women. One of them invited me to do a solo alongside her!

I realized that I was much better at picking up African dance than I will ever be at basket weaving- so I’ll just leave that skill in their hands!

A finished basket from Trade Aid. Available through Work of Human Hands.

After working on a few Hollywood movie sets as a go-for, he developed a passion for acting and film production. “That’s when I would immediately fall in love with the whole process,” says the director of campus and young adult ministries for the Diocese of Palm Beach.

“I always loved movies and how people come together to create something,” says Terence. Thereafter, he spent over a decade in various roles, ranging from screenwriting, production and art direction. The 51-year-old casually admits to having very small roles in the epic horror films, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street.

But to make it to the top of the industry he imagined having an “unethical swim upstream” –something that he wasn’t willing to endure. That’s when the Belmar, New Jersey native sought vocation in ministry. “The calling never stopped knocking,” he says soundly. “It felt so fulfilling so I knew I was in the right place.”
Having served in campus ministry roles throughout New York and currently South Florida, Terence says that he consistently educates his students on what it means to be connected to a global community. His students would participate in Operation Rice Bowl Lenten program each year to support development programs in impoverished regions around the world. Terence bought gifts from the Work of Human Hands fair-trade catalog, which gives artisans and small scale farmers access to larger consumer markets.

However, little did he know, the two programs were both run by Catholic Relief Services. It was only after CRS staff toured the Palm Beach Diocese did he connect the dots. “I was blown away because I thought they were both great programs,” he says. CRS is one of the things that I can hold my head high about to say we are Catholics.”

To that end, Terence became a CRS diocesan director and says that he wanted to do more to promote CRS to a younger generation. “If CRS wants to continue to be vital it needs to reach out to young adults,” he says. He learned of a CRS’ capacity building grant and came up with the idea of producing a film. “It was a perfect fit.”

Awarded a $6,000 grant, Terence, a film crew and novice student actors embarked on shooting a film that will help spread the message of solidarity and service to more youth and young adults. “I always missed film so this was a great opportunity,” Terrence says.

Filmed on the campus of Florida Atlantic University and a local parish, students dramatized scenarios of how buying fair trade items, such as coffee, chocolate products and crafts help farmers and artisans earn a better market value for their goods. For fair trade artisans and farmers, increased income means a way to support their families.

“I was really proud of them because they had never been in the film process before,” says Terence, noting that the film is “pretty” grassroots given the team was working on a small budget.

The film was shot in one and half days. “We had to bang this thing out pretty quickly. There were no luxuries,” he says.

The ultimate aim, Terence says, is for young viewers to learn ways that they can help––like buying fair trade products and donating to CRS. “It’s a way to get young adults to understand that we need to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers,” he says. “What do Americans love to do? Shop. Buy. Eat,” Terence says. “We used consumerism as a vehicle, the entryway to service.” It helps the targeted audience think twice about families who face harsh economic realities in developing countries.

The film was completed in early May and has already been screened at its first film festival. You can visit You Tube to watch the video and witness the message.

Thanks to former CRS staffer Kai T. Hill for this blog posting.

My family has been promoting Fair Trade in our parish, . St. Hubert’s in Higgins Lake for a few years. The parish uses Fair Trade coffee and we have had a few Divine chocolate sales and a Christmas Work of Human Hands crafts sale. We are also the Peace and Justice committee for our parish and have often reported our Fair Trade doings at the Vicariate Peace and Justice monthly meetings.

As a result of these meetings the Peace and Justice person from St. Mary’s in Grayling asked us to talk on Fair Trade to her Parish Council in April. With her council’s blessing, Barb had her first Fair Trade Coffee and chocolate sale after the Masses last weekend!

A smiling Barb with new Fair Traders

The theme of WFTD  is Fair Trade My Home linking our lives to the livelihoods of our brothers and sisters around the world.  Producers need to provide for their households.   Consumers like you have the opportunity to bring Fair Trade food, decorations, jewelry and more into your own home in acts of solidarity shopping.     To Fair Trade Your Home is easy and fun. Our friends at the Fair Trade Resource Network have put together a tool kit of resources and come up with several contests to inspire you.

We here at CRS Fair Trade have a contest of our own: every person who takes the Fair Trade My Home pledge–meaning promises to use one product from a CRS Fair Trade partner in the year 2010–will be entered into a raffle to win Haitian artwork from our Work of Human Hands catalog.

Here’s how to participate:

1) Fill out the pledge form attached and return it to fairtrade “at” crs.org before May 10.  Don’t forget to buy a product for your home from our crafts, coffee, and chocolate partners.   WFTD Pledge Card 2010

2) Plan a Work of Human Hands sale, a Raise Money Right chocolate fundraiser, a Fair Trade coffee tasting or other fun event using CRS Fair Trade partner products.   Encourage attendees to take the Fair Trade My Home pledge and return this downloadable WFTD pledge tally sheet to fairtrade “at” crs.org by May 10.

This day and every day Fair Trade gives us a chance to embrace the principles of Catholic social teaching such as care of god’s creation and working for the common good.  Join us in putting principles into practice.

My trip to Madagascar doesn’t feel like it was that long ago, but at the time the Effort and Hope cooperative in Antsirabe, Madagascar were completing an order of pocket bags for SERRV. I’m excited to announce those very bags are now available to order on the SERRV website. As a small, beginner cooperative of artisans, Effort and Hope lives up to their name. Their workspace is within the confines of a safety net center for children, Association Zazakely, that CRS Madagascar has supported in the past. Staying near their children who attend school and receive meals at the center, the artisans learn new skills and earn additional income through their partnership with SERRV. With the Zaza Pocket bag and the Pocketful of Peace bag, the artisans are applying their exceptional embroidery skills to create a cheerful pocket bag. The denim bags are cut from actual jeans, making each bag unique.

Because this group is still trying to find their stride and work up to larger orders, these pocket bags are only available online and not in the catalog. However, you can tell from the photos that they have a lot of skill and creativity. CRS Madagascar is working closely with the group on building their capacity and we hope you’ll be seeing more from them soon. In the meantime, please check out these new products from Effort and Hope!

Photo courtesy of Eileen Davenport

Last year, CRS Fair Trade was proud to be part of the World’s Largest Fair Trade break in honor of World Fair Trade Day.  For 2010, we’re excited about a new spirit of friendly competition as Fair Traders come together to celebrate the people who grow our food and produce our goods.

The theme of this year’s celebration is Fair Trade My Home.  Producers around the world need to provide for their households.  I think of someone like Comfort Kumeah, of the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa association, who invited a Raise Money Right delegation into her home in Ghana, where she explained the benefits Fair Trade had for her community.  Consumers have the opportunity to bring Fair Trade food, decorations, jewelry and more into their own homes in acts of solidarity shopping.    Every time I enjoy Divine chocolate Easter Eggs or Equal Exchange organic bars, I am connected to farmers like Comfort.

To bring Fair Trade into your home and community is easy and fun.  Our friends at the Fair Trade Resource Network have put together a tool kit of resources and come up with several contests to inspire you. CRS Fair Trade has a contest of its own: every person who takes the Fair Trade My Home pledge–meaning promises to use one product from a CRS Fair Trade partner in the year 2010–will be entered into a raffle to win Haitian artwork from our Work of Human Hands catalog.

Here’s how to participate:

1) Fill out the pledge form attached and return it to fairtrade “at” crs.org before May 10.  Don’t forget to buy a product for your home from our crafts, coffee, and chocolate partners.   This is the honor system people! WFTD pledge card 2010

2) Plan a Work of Human Hands sale, a Raise Money Right chocolate fundraiser, a Fair Trade coffee tasting or other fun event using CRS Fair Trade partner products.   Encourage attendees to take the Fair Trade My Home pledge and return this downloadableWFTD pledge tally sheet to fairtrade “at” crs.org by May 10.

Who knows, CRS Fair Trade may even win the contest for the organization with the most supporters taking the pledge. But our real motivation is to help you act in solidarity with farmers and artisans around the world!

In addition to featuring many new products geared toward celebrating spring, the new Work of Human Hands catalog also gives us the opportunity to highlight one of SERRV’s valued partners, Comite Artisanal Haitien (CAH) in Haiti. Even before the earthquake struck Haiti in January, CRS and SERRV wanted to feature this great cooperative that has given so many artisans a way for their talents and skills to be recognized and rewarded. Now there is an even greater reason to support CAH as they offer artisans in Haiti the income to help them rebuild.

The Work of Human Hands Consignment Sale packets are also available to help you organize a sale. An Easter or Mother’s Day sale is a great time to offer your community fairly traded gifts. Sale organizers are also reporting that while selling only the Metal Wall Art pieces from CAH may not offer enough selection, some are planning to include the products at their sales to auction off as a fundraiser for Haiti, or use as a give-away item. These great ideas are just one way to show others that there is hope for Haiti and that continued support is required for long-term development.

Cheryl Musch, SERRV’s Director of International Development, recently returned from a visit with CAH. She reports back:

“When we asked what they need, nearly all said they need orders to be able to rebuild. They don’t expect handouts or assistance, but they do want work. These are men and women are remarkably resilient, and we will be doing all we can to assist them in getting back on their feet.”

The new Spring/Summer Work of Human Hands catalog offers new hope for artisans in Haiti, as well as artisans and farmers around the world.  Take a moment to flip through the pages to discover not only hundreds of beautiful products, but the stories of the people behind them.

Find out more information on Cheryl Musch’s visit to CAH.

Visit CRS’s website for stories, videos and parish/school resources on the earthquake in Haiti.

Order your Spring/Summer Work of Human Hands Catalog.

Thank you to all the Work of Human Hands Sale organizers for giving others the opportunity to shop responsibly and thoughtfully, particularly during Advent. And thank you to all the shoppers who are using their dollars to provide the benefits of Fair Trade to producers overseas, while at the same time giving their loved one unique crafts and delicious foods!

To help sale organizers get the word out about their sales, and help shoppers locate a sale near them, please post your Work of Human Hands Sale information to the CRS Fair Trade website or to our Facebook page. If there is no sale in your neighborhood, it’s always possible to shop Work of Human Hands online.

Work of Human Hands Sales not only give you an excuse to get out of the house and send some time in a warm, festive atmosphere with beautiful handcrafts and delicious gourmet foods surrounding you. It gives you and your community a shopping alternative that reflects the values of our faith and an opportunity to put your dollars toward helping those  in need.  Through Work of Human Hands Sales you can transform your parish hall into a market where faith and justice meet!

If you haven’t received your Work of Human Hands catalog in the mail, or are a first-time sale organizer ready to get started, you can order your free catalog and a consignment sale information packet from our order page. The consignment planner in the information packet offers a step-by-step guide to make holding a sale easy.

SERRV , our partner on Work of Human Hands, has some special offers for sale hosts this year. Don’t miss out!

• Fair Trade Gift Set
  Orders of at least $750, received at least 4 weeks before your first sale date will receive a free gift set of fair trade foods as our thanks to you. This will ship with your order, and you can share it with your committee, use it in a raffle, or whatever works for you!
• Fall 2010 Artisan Tour
  Sell more than $1000 worth of handcrafts and your group is eligible to be chosen for an artisan visit. You must also return no more than 25% of your order, and pay for your items within 10 days of your sale to qualify. We will contact you next spring if your order met these conditions, to request your proposal for hosting an artisan. The organization selected for the 2010 artisan visit will be contacted in late spring/early summer.
• 25 for 25
  If you order at least $750, pay on time and return less than 25% of your total order, we will send you a $25 gift certificate in May 2010 to use towards a future order.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please call our Customer Service team at 1.800.685.7572.

And remember, with each purchase made through Work of Human Hands, SERRV donates a portion of the sale to the CRS Fair Trade Fund. So whether you host a sale in your parish, or shop at home, your purchase gives in 3 ways – a beautiful gift for you, a fair trade for the artisan, and a donation to CRS to help us continue to build the Fair Trade marketplace.

SERRV‘s Madison office was honored to host two guests from our partner MCCH Ecuador. MCCH is an acronym for Maquita Cushunchic, which in indigenous Quechua language means ‘let’s join hands and market as brothers.’ MCCH started in 1985 with the help of Catholic organizations working in Quito, and they remain committed to the highest social and Christian ideals.

Augusto spoke with us about building a ‘solidarity economy’, and defined this as a new economic model that involves all aspects of wellbeing – work, environment, and human – and has people, not capital, at the core.

He told us that Fair Trade is a primary aspect of this through building a fair market.

His words were a reminder to us of how Fair Trade often transforms lives by being part of a broader change!

Augusto Estrella and SERRV's Jean Johnson (who translated)