We would like to say it was a flash from above, a lightening bolt, a wake-up-one-day-and-realize-it-was-time-to-live-differently moment-- but actually the creation of our fair trade business evolved from friendships we made while living in Kenya from 1999 to 2009.
Swimming in a sea of traditional handicrafts from Western Kenya and having computer background, it was a no-brainer creating a website to sell the crafts. We helped our friends sell soapstone sculptures from Tabaka, recycled jewelry from Kisumu, and tableware from Machakos through our website and accidentally created a business that not only provided a sustainable income for the people we have come to love in Kenya, but also for us.
Ten years have gone by since we sold the first soapstone sugar bowl to a New York Times writer and crossed our fingers that it would make it safely from Kenya (it did and the article was very positive). We now work with more than 40 fair trade organizations, co-ops, family-owned businesses and non-profits in more than 20 countries that create beautiful handcrafted products.
Our own family-run business is now a corporation that not only provides almost 1000 retailers in the US and Canada with fair trade handicrafts, we also offer these products to you. Our producer partners are paid a fair price for their products, receive at least 50% in advance on order, and the balance when the products are ready to ship. These financial risks have always been well worth it and have proven to us that the fair trade principles we follow are an excellent roadmap for doing business.
