Prosperity Candle: “Strong Women Lead To Strong Nations”

Our life here in the United States is much different than life in other countries. Myanmar (also known as Burma) is a self-governed state in southeastern Asia where Htoo, Moo Kho, and Naw all escaped their villages.

The quote “Strong women lead to strong nations” by Zainab Salbi helps describe these women. These three women are all Burmese refugees who were able to migrate over to the United States to earn money and to have a healthy and happy family.

Moo Kho

For example, Moo Kho (left), at a very young age, had to quickly leave her village in Burma and she had to stay in a refugee camp for four years. She and her family had to forget about their past lives because there was nothing left of it. Eventually, she was able to come over to the United States. She began working at Prosperity Candles and earned her very first paycheck at the age of 33. She is in management and trains other refugees just like her. Currently, she lives with her husband and her healthy two children.

Htoo

A refugee at the young age of four, Htoo (center), had to run through the jungle to leave her village. Her family was involuntarily forced out of their village by soldiers. Never again did she see her village. Spending 13 years in a refugee camp, she was able to come to here. When she was 20, she started working at Prosperity Candle and received her first paycheck. Now with the money she deserves, she has been able to follow her dream of going to high school and becoming a well-trained chef.

Naw

Naw (right) was born and grew up in a refugee camp after her parents had to leave their village. After coming to the United States, she works at Prosperity Candle to help provide for her family of two.

One World Market is now selling candles handmade by these miraculously talented women! Every purchase of a candle helps women earn their well deserved money to raise their families and pursue their lifelong dreams!

One World Market in Durham is now selling five scents in three different forms of candles. To start out, the first scent is Awaken which smells like citrus and teakwood, Unwind which smells like lavender and chamomile, Inspire which smells like lemongrass and sage, Renew which smells like ginger white tea, and Reflect which smells like Himalayan bamboo.

First, we have Inspiration Travel Tins with all five scents. These nice tins all have very heart lifting quotes that help describe the women making these extraordinary candles. These tins have a secure screw-on lid that is very easy to take on or off. These tins are great for cute little gifts that would be a great birthday or even for your special someone!

Next, we have these fashionable candles that are encased in glass. Also like the tins, each one of these candles have touching quotes that will surely brighten your day! These candles will look great in any room! Everyone who gets a smell of Prosperity Candles will love them!

Then, we have these candles that were hand poured into these beautifully painted ceramic bowls. The special thing about these bowls is that once you use up the candle, you can repurpose the bowl! The inside of the bowl is painted as well and it will look as nice as décor or as a bowl for your treasures.

Come on over to One World Market in Durham, N.C. and get your Prosperity Candles to help these amazing women pursue their dreams!

Your Fair Trade Friend, Joseph

Hand in Hand: How One Bar of Soap Provides Clean Water

In developing countries, many people will die of illnesses such as a respiratory disease. These sicknesses can be prevented with soap and water. Many people do not have access to soap bars which can lead to fatal illnesses. One World Market has recognized this problem and is here to help with our new partners: Hand in Hand! Hand in Hand is a company that makes fair trade soap bars and bath salts, sugar scrubs, lip balms, and lotions with fair trade ingredients that also provide more.

Photo Source: Hand in Hand

For every soap bar you purchase from Hand in Hand, one soap bar and one month of clean water will be donated to a child in a developing country. 50 square feet of rainforest is saved every time you purchase a bar of soap or bath salt bottle from Hand in Hand. 

Photo Source: Hand in Hand

With the help of loyal customers like One World Market, Hand in Hand has donated over 100,000 bars of soap to children in Port-au-Prince Haiti through their buy a bar, give a bar program, and they have put in a well to provide clean water to over 240 families each and every day for a decade!

Hand in Hand Soap's first well in Haiti! from Hand in Hand on Vimeo.

We have many choices of bar soap for you to choose from. We have Lavender, Wildflower and Fern, Rose Water, Orange Blossom, Sea Salt, and White Tea. With a new school year, we want to make sure everyone is clean and ready!

 

Hand in Hand also has bath salts made with fair trade ingredients. When you purchase one bottle of bath salts, 50 square feet of rainforest are saved. This salt is hand harvested from the Andes Mountains in South America. This Bolivian Rose salt is naturally pink and was buried under volcanic ash for millions of years before there were humans on Earth. Like the soap bars, with the purchase of this bottle, lotion, hand soap, and the sugar scrubs, a child in a developing country will be given one bar of soap and one month of clean water.

Come and check out Hand In Hand’s vegan sugar scrub made with organic materials. You have the choice of Lavender or Wildflower and Fern to keep your skin looking fresh and clean. These sugar scrubs do not have palm oil and they were all made with fair trade ingredients.

Want to keep your skin looking even nicer? The moisturizing lotion has two amazing scents: Lavender and Orange Blossom. If you are not sure what this nice and vegan product may smell like, come on over and use our tester bottles.

Why not wash your hands with vegan hand soap made with organic and fair trade ingredients? Buy either Lavender or Orange Blossom hand soap to keep your hands clean and safe from germs.

Keep your lips happy and healthy with Hand in Hand’s Shea Butter Lip Balm. The winter season is coming up and the weather is about to get cooler so it is the perfect time to buy your lip balm so you can get prepared! Your lips will thank you after you use your shea butter lip balm made with organic and fair trade ingredients.

Come on over to buy Hand in Hand products! Next time you are drinking a nice cold glass of refreshing water, stop and think about how many people in developing countries do not have access to clean water. Every time you purchase a Hand in Hand product, a month of clean water and a soap bar will be given to a child in a developing country.

Your Fair Trade Friend, Joseph

Iced Peach Rooibos Tea

 

Iced Peach Rooibos Tea

Ingredients 

2 c. Equal Exchange Organic Rooibos, brewed strong and cooled to room temperature
2 c. peach juice (or other fruit juice to mix things up!)
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 peaches, thinly sliced
a handful of fresh mint leaves

Directions 

Combine ingredients in a large container and stir well. Serve over ice.

And Enjoy!

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!

Cuckoo for Nkuku!

Here at One World Market, we have gone cuckoo for Nkuku!  Make your kitchen one of a kind with these beautiful and unique pieces of stainless steel enamelware. We have something for you whether you like light, neutral colors or bright, bold colors.We have an array of colorful cups, mugs, intricately designed trays, bowls, and more.

Do you want to keep your kitchen looking calm and cool? No problem. Come and take a look at our bird themed cups and mugs. Each piece of enamelware is hand painted by an artisan in India. Even though they have tranquil colors, they will make your kitchen shine!

More of a bright and punchy color person? We have that too! Each cup has little baby birds who will certainly make you smile. These light cups are very easy to handle and will look great in your cabinets.

Not much of a bird person? Then we have flower enamelware just for you. Each cup, mug, pitcher, tray, and tiffin have nice red and blue flowers that will certainly brighten your day. These pieces are great for meals at home, picnics, or other fun activities.

Need a new lunch box before the school year? Want a new lunch box for your job? Then come on over! A tiffin is a small but appetizing meal somewhere between breakfast and lunch. Tiffin carriers are small meal holders which are very popular in India. People strap their carriers to their bikes or carry it around since it is small and easy to hold and handle. You can easily place it in a messenger bag or purse if you are having a picnic or going to work. Kids can easily strap it to their backpack so it is ready for lunch. The carriers have a clip that keeps the three containers sealed. When your child goes to school with this creative lunch box, all the kids will be talking about it and want to get their own! Come get these fair trade and hand-painted tiffin carriers before they are gone.

Yep, we have the whole set. The bowls are just the perfect size! Not only are they useful but they are attractive too!

These nice jugs are great for some tasty lemonade on a hot day, plus they are appropriately sized jugs and sure to hold your favorite drink.

Complete the set with our matching trays! Compliment the cups and bowls with our hand painted trays with small detailed birds or decorative red flowers. Serve your meals with style with our new Nkuku enamelware.

Nkuku is a fair trade company that helps struggling artisans in Kashmir, India. Working at Nkuku helps these artisans gain money to help them continue their lives and get new jobs. Every piece of stainless steel enamelware is hand painted.

Since we only get these Nkuku products once a year, come on over to One World Market in Durham, NC to get your enamelware before they are gone!

 

Your Fair Trade Friend, Joseph

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Joseph is a volunteer with One World Market and we are so excited to have him join our Blogging Team! Look for many more posts from Joseph in the future.

One World Market is a Fair Trade, Non-Profit Retail Store located in Durham, NC. Shop with us at 811 Ninth Street or online at www.shoponeworldmarket.com

Chocolate Dipped Frozen Banana Pops

It’s safe to say that summer is here in Durham, NC and that leaves all of us at One World Market dreaming up cool treats for hot days. When we aren’t running a quick errand to Ben & Jerry’s for a Fair Trade scoop…or two, we’re trying our hand at easy recipes.

Our friends at Taza Chocolate recently posted a killer recipe for Chocolate Dipped Frozen Banana Pops that had all of us drooling on the computer screen.

Enjoy!

6 medium bananas, with peels on
2 bars (6 oz.) Taza 60% Dark Stone Ground Chocolate
approximately 1 cup each of 2 or 3 assorted toppings, e.g. chopped nuts, flaked coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 popsicle sticks

To Prepare:

1.) Cut unpeeled bananas in half width-wise, and stick on to popsicle sticks (keep the peel on while you do this!)

2.) After cutting and sticking all of the bananas, take off the peels and place bananas on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for about 90 minutes.

3.)While bananas are freezing, prepare toppings as needed. I used roasted salted peanuts (roughly chopped), flaked coconut (toasted lightly in a pan),

4.) Place the prepared toppings on separate shallow plates, then coarsely chop the chocolate and melt it slowly in a heavy-bottomed pot on the stove-top, over low heat, stirring often to avoid clumps and burning.

5.) Line a baking sheet or platter with parchment paper to place the banana pops on after dipping.

6.) Once chocolate is smooth and lump-free, remove it from the heat. Take frozen banana pops out of the freezer and dip, then roll immediately in the topping of your choice! It gets a bit messy, so set them on the parchment-lined baking sheet or platter.

7.) After all bananas have been coated and topped, place them back in the freezer for 30 minutes to for the chocolate coating to harden.

Recipe and Photo Provided by Taza Chocolate. Originally posted here.

Fair Trade Recipe - Peaches and Green Tea Smoothie

With the recent spike in temperature, we here at One World Market have been LOVING this super easy and refreshing Peaches and Green Tea Smoothie from our friends at Equal Exchange.

To make this tasty treat you’ll need:

Ingredients 

• 3 Equal Exchange Organic Green Tea bags
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 peach
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt

Simply brew tea in water, then freeze tea in ice cube trays. Blend together tea ice cubes, peach and ice cream or yogurt until frothy.

Enjoy!