Artisan Spotlight: Meet Achiro Paska

Meet Achiro Paska, an artisan in Uganda, and a member of the Ember Arts Artisan Group.

Nearly all of the women we partner with through Ember Arts are mothers, and part of the privilege of working with them is the opportunity to see their children grow throughout the years. The women of Ember frequently have babies and toddlers teetering through their office, and during training sessions, older children stop buy regularly to deliver messages from home and watch their mothers at work.

Achiro Paska's two youngest daughters, Emily and Evelin, have been staples at the Ember Arts office over the last few years, and she was happy to be asked to show them off and speak more about their lives.

When prompted to share her favorite part about being a mother, Paska couldn't choose; from pregnancy to teenagers, so far, she's loved it all. With six children from ages 14 months to 14 years,  she has certainly seen motherhood from many different angles. While she admits to getting annoyed when her children are quarreling with each other, most days she is happy to see them playing well together. They even have a favorite game that she couldn't quite explain through her laughter, apparently it's so funny that even the thought of it makes her giggle. 

Paska herself was left with relatives at the age of three, and grew up without a mother. She is determined to live her life differently, no matter what sort of trials she faces. Her advice to other mothers is "Love your children, whatever you are facing, and educate them. If you educate and love them it is good, because they are the future."

She is most proud of her children when they do well in school, and working to earn money for their school fees is her greatest concern. Her dream is that they will all finish their educations and never have to struggle the way she did growing up. 

We are thrilled to be partnering alongside hard-working mothers like Paska, and so grateful for the support of all the women- mothers and otherwise- that help make those dreams a reality.

Happy Mother's Day and thank you for supporting Fair Trade!

A Fair Trade Fashion Revolution

Relatives of the victims cry as they attend prayer, paying tribute to the victims of a building collapse at the graveyard at Jurain in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Over 290 unclaimed bodies were buried / Photo Credit: Abir Abdullah EPA

On April 24th 2013, 1,133 men and women died after the structure of their garment factory crumbled on top of them. At least 2,500 were injured, along with an estimated 800 children left orphaned.

Victims were left begging for compensation, terms which still haven’t been met. And as many of the clothing companies sourcing production from Rana Plaza distanced themselves from the disaster, time passed and many were left forgotten.

An eight story building housing several garment factories became a mountain of rubble, clothing and people, and our eyes began to open. After this tragedy, One World Market began researching and sourcing Fair Trade clothing. We felt it was more important than ever to create a local market in Durham where ethical fashion could be found.

We started small with beautiful dresses that were handmade in the Congo from Mamafrica. 

Then we branched out to simple separates, lovely tunics, and block-printed dresses handmade in India from Global Girlfriend, Jinja Fair Trade, and Symbology.

We instantly felt connected with the artisans who made our clothing. But even more, we felt incredibly disconnected from the “Fast Fashion” we had been wearing for so many years.

It can be so easy to overlook the tiny tag hanging in a shirt or stitched into a pair of pants. But when you’re wearing a Fair Trade garment, that tag becomes a source of pride ! Fair Trade – Handmade – it matters.

This Thursday, April 24th, we hope you will join us in asking the question:

Who made your clothes?

In cooperation with Fashion Revolution, you can choose to wear one item of clothing inside out. The idea is that then when someone asks you or points out that you’re wearing an article of clothing inside out, you can then engage in a meaningful conversation about where your clothes were made. And the horrors that occur every single day in every single part of the supply chain that creates a cheap piece of clothing.

Together we can use the power of fashion to catalyze change and reconnect the broken links in the supply chain. Wear your clothes inside-out to help start the beginning of an industry-wide transformation towards a more sustainable future.

Show us your inside out clothes on Instagram by tagging it @Fash_Rev @OneWorldMarket and #InsideOut

Join us! Join the Fashion Revolution!