My Summer with One World Market

Volunteer Jesus started volunteering with One World Market this summer, and in that short time he has put in a ton of hours! In fact, this Wednesday, August 13th, he will have completed 60 Volunteer HOURS!! We feel so lucky to have had him here this summer, and asked if he would write a reflection on his time spent at One World.

Take it away Jesus!

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I began volunteering here in late June, and it has been a great experience from the very start. The volunteers and staff members are very welcoming and have forgiven my not-so-infrequent mistakes. The staff and volunteers, along with the customers, the good fair trade does, and just the general atmosphere of OWM have made this summer worthwhile and one I will never forget.

Even if I wanted to, (which I don’t) I could never forget the first time I ever dressed up as a banana and then ate one!

That’s canabanalism! Now, how is eating and dressing up as a banana related to fair trade? The answer is a whole bunch of—no pun intended—fair trade bananas, banana games, prizes and a special day dedicated to the celebration of said bananas. Silly yet serious, this event was fun for both volunteers and customers. They had the opportunity to dress up as well and almost had as much fun as I did!

It’s this exact atmosphere of goofiness, seriousness, and a form of serenity that makes me love this place so much. We are able to help the world by supporting fair trade, and we have fun doing it.

Most days, 364 to be exact, are not banana day, so I am not in costume during my volunteer hours. Instead, I come in a tank and shorts, put on my name tag, and my outfit is complete. On these days, I sometimes unpack items and put prices on them, essentially unwrapping Christmas presents and playing with stickers. If I’m not doing that, I’m tidying up, ringing someone up, or writing my first ever blog post. *cough* *cough* this one. It doesn’t matter what exactly I am doing though because I enjoy every second of it.

Fair trade does a lot for so many people, and by being here, I’ve learned that. This cute little card I just bought

with its adorable characters and hilarious puns is more than just a “cute little card.” it is a story. It was made by a human being, a woman in the Philippines who escaped prostitution and is now working in a safe environment creating quality goods. Wow, in just a few moments that cute little card just got a lot deeper. It is only one of the thousands of stories behind the items carried in the store. With products from over 70 countries, every story is different and each deserves to be heard and respected. That is what fair trade does.

In my own personal life, I’ve noticed that as consumers we quickly forget that the food we eat, the clothes we wear, all of the processed goods we buy and use on a daily basis are made by human beings. We read the label, “Made in India,” on the back of our shirts and snip snip, it’s gone because it’s too “scratchy.” For all we know, a child systematically deprived of an education made that and a hundred other shirts in a sweatshop for a lousy ten cents a day with that tag being the only sign to show for all the effort. And with a couple of snips even that is gone. Fair trade makes sure that doesn’t happen. The adult artisans who make the products work under safe conditions for fair wages and are not deprived of their basic human rights. Their children don’t work in factories making t-shirts, they go to school.

Being at OWM has allowed me to be a part of the fair trade process, and it has been very rewarding in multiple ways. I know that I am a part of a large group of caring individuals who are helping to better the lives of people all over the world. That in itself is one of the biggest rewards I have ever received and one of the best gifts I could ever give.

By giving up some of my time, I am helping lives and enjoying myself in the process. Even better, I get to meet other caring individuals of all backgrounds. OWM has helped this summer be one of the best, most productive and most rewarding summers ever.

Jesus will be returning to the NC School of Science and Math this Fall as a Senior. Look for him volunteering again over his winter break during our busy holiday season!

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!

Your Impact in Malawi – Fair Trade Skirts to Save the World

Here in Durham, we are lucky enough to have an ample summer season followed up with an absolutely wonderful autumn. As we head in to mid-August, we are starting to look for great TRANSITION PIECES for the store.

Transition pieces are items that can carry you through the seasons, meaning it works in warm and cooler weather. Jewelry can easily transition, but clothes can be tough. That’s why we LOVE our new Fair Trade skirts from Dsenyo!

Dsenyo works with artisans living in Malawi. The artisan group that makes their beautiful skirts: Mayamiko. Mayamiko is the Chichewa word for praise.

Mayamiko provides training in sewing and tailoring to local women who are affected by the HIV pandemic or are caretakers of HIV orphans. This artisan group helps people lift themselves out of poverty and end injustice through skills training, education, nutrition, sanitation and promoting fairer trade practices, which is so important everywhere, but even more so in Malawi.

And the skirts that Mayamiko creates are beautiful!

And completely transitional! Pair with a tank top or short sleeved shirt and sandals for summer.

Tights and a jacket or cardigan for fall! We could even see these skirts with leggings and tall boots for winter, because we have a feeling that once you tried one on…

you’re not going to want to take it off or pack it up for winter!

Recently, when Dsenyo visited Mayamiko artisans to pick up skirts and give them payment, they asked their artisans what they would do with the money they were being paid. Many replied that they would pay their rent for the next six months to a year, depending on how large a room they leased.

But there were two replies from two separate women that literally made us catch our breath. It stopped us in our tracks and yes, brought tears to our eyes.

Shoes. School for her children. Simple necessities that we could take for granted every day.

What a wonderful blessing to be able to support these women half way around the world. We’re excited that through these beautiful skirts…

we can support a talented artisan. We can help her earn the FAIR WAGE she deserves. We can ensure that she owns shoes and that her children can attend school.

That is beautiful fashion that we can feel good about! That my friends, is a skirt that can help save the world…or at least it can help save the world of 89 women living in Malawi.

And the fact that these skirts can transition from summer to fall to winter…well that’s just delicious icing on the Fair Trade cake!

Stop in to One World Market and support these women today!