Fair Trade Friday September Box

 This month’s Fair Trade Friday box was un-🐝-lievable! The theme for September’s box was Bee Kind. It included:

1️⃣ Honeycomb Soap Bar made refugees resettled in Houston, Texas. I love the honeycomb design on the top of the soap! K says it smells like an oatmeal cookie! 

2️⃣ Ceramic Beehive Soap Dish made by Prodigal Pottery in Birmingham, Alabama. They offer employment to wen who are fleeing homelessness, domestic abuse, and sex-trafficking. The soap dish has a honeycomb design complete with little bee 🐝 imprints! 

3️⃣ Raw Honey Sampler made by Hon’s Honey in Baltimore, Maryland. They offer dignified work to women at risk of addiction, abuse, poverty, sex-trafficking, and prostitution. 🍯 

4️⃣ Wooden Honey Dipper made by Ethikos Home in Thailand. Artisans rely on orders like this one to earn enough to sustain their families. Creating these honey dippers provided 33 people with 937 hours of dignified work.

5️⃣ Gold Hexagon Earrings made by Starfish Project in Eastern Asia. They help provide exploited women in Eastern Asia with the opportunity to experience freedom, establish independence, and develop careers. Purchases of Starfish Project help provide employment, safe housing, counseling, vocational training, and educational opportunities. This order of earrings created 311 hours of work for 18 employees. 

6️⃣Gratitude Bracelet made by Mercy House Global in Kenya. Started in 2010, Mercy House started with a dream to help pregnant teen moms in Nairobi, Kenya. Now, Mercy House fully funds 3 maternity homes in Kenya funded by generous families who believe in their mission. 

What’s your favorite item?

Fair Trade Friday: Box #7

"FTF exists as an avenue for women to empower women. We are tackling poverty through job opportunity and empowerment rather than enablement. 100% of the proceeds support the artisans, 

more than 500 women and their children from all over the world. FTF is a ministry of Mercy House Kenya, a non-profit organization." 

-Fair Trade Friday 

If you are interested in signing up for a fair trade Friday you can do that here. They also have a new earring of the month you should check out!

"Your box employed approximately 7 women this month."

{I still love seeing that part each month!}

This scarf is from JOYN! They're really pretty! You find one for yourself here! JOYN takes artisans living in poverty and joins them with the thriving fashion world. Each step of our process is done by hand—creating more jobs, bringing more joy, and connecting more artisans with YOU.

Organic English Breakfast tea from Equal Exchange. Their Fair Trade and organic teas come from their small farmer partners in India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Most teas on the shelf - even Fair Trade teas - come from plantations, where tea workers have little say. Join them in supporting a tea model in which farmers control their futures.

This crotched flower Mother's Day card is from The Refugee Project in Houston, Texas. All the items are handmade by refugee women of Burma, Bhutan and Nepal who have been relocated to Houston, Texas by the United Nations for religious and ethnic persecution. By purchasing an item, you are empowering women by helping them meet some of their basic needs.

This is the "Foldover Clutch" from Tukula. Tukula (meaning "we grow") is an accessories line based in Jinja, Uganda. We hire young women who are trained as seamstresses but aren't able to find consistent work.

Fair Trade Friday: Box #6

It's one of my favorite parts of every month. You know, when my Fair Trade Friday package comes- it's so much fun to see what's in it! I know maybe it seems frivolous to spend money every month on "novelty" items.

BUT WHEN...

...100% of the proceeds from each product go toward the empowerment of impoverished women as an avenue to introduce them to the Gospel.

Can you put a price on that? 

Do you see the writing in blue? That's my favorite part. 

"Your box employed approximately 5 women this month."

This is the Justina coin purse from Clothed in Hope from Zambia, Africa. Supporting them means empowering women to benefit communities in Zambia. It means bringing them hope.

This is the Love Mercy Bracelet from Mercy House Kenya in Kenya, Africa. You can either buy one for $10.00 or you  can order a kit of 25 for $10 (to cover expenses and shipping) and serve Mercy House by putting the bracelets together and selling them to friends and family or sending them back for us to sell. Kits are available in the store. 

These cotton washcloths are from The Refugee Project in Houston, Texas. All the items are handmade by refugee women of Burma, Bhutan and Nepal who have been relocated to Houston, Texas by the United Nations for religious and ethnic persecution. By purchasing an item, you are empowering women by helping them meet some of their basic needs.

 This is the "By the Sea Cuff" from Tukula in Jinja, Uganda. Isn't it gorgeous? Do you see Esther's face? I love it so much. 

Your yes matters.

Fair Trade Friday: Box #5

You already know what day it is and it's one of my favorites every month. IT'S FAIR TRADE FRIDAY! Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I just got a little excited! What's Fair Trade Friday you ask? Fair Trade Friday is a monthly membership club that delivers a box of quality items to your door by the first Friday of the month. The items in the box are fairly traded and provide employment to women all around the world. 100% of the proceeds from each box goes to the empowerment of impoverished women as an opportunity to introduce them to the Gospel. Plus, you will love everything they send you! 

Here's what came in my box this month: 

Reusable gift bag by Friends of Mercy Goods. 

This shirt is from Freeset in India. {front}

Please excuse the wrinkles. Its been traveling. {back} 

Bracelet from The Refugee Project in Houston, TX. 

You all know I love Zambia. I absolutely loved getting a little piece of Zambia in the mail. This soap smells sooooo good!

This lip balm. I. love. it. I have already ordered a few as gifts! Also from Zambia. 

One of my favorite bags so far! Want your own? Go get one! This box employed approximately 7 women! 7 women around the world! Your yes matters! Even in the small things! 

Fair Trade Friday: Box #4

As you know... The first Friday of every month is one of my favorite days! That's the day my Fair Trade Friday box arrives! To learn more about these boxes check them out here! 

In each box now comes this fancy card! I love that they note how many women the box employed! This month all of my items were from India with the exception of the bag from Mercy Covers! 

This bag is from Mercy Covers. Mercy Covers is an outreach of the St. Bryce Missions that provides skills training, personal finance management, education, discipleship, and meaningful work for women in rural Costa Rica.

The is bracelet is called "Pharoah's cuff". It's from Mata Traders. I couldn't find the exact bracelet. You can read about Mata Traders and how they came to be here. 

This is the needlepoint necklace in black also from Mata Traders. I found one similar here. 

This market tote is from JOYN. You can read about their mission here and find a tote for yourself here. 

I also got a lanyard from JOYN. Which is currently on my keyring. You can find them here. 

I loved all of my items. I love that fair trade goods get shipped to me every month. I'm seriously in love. I get to help empower women around the world and Fair Trade Friday helps me do that. They take all the guess work out of it! So much fun! 

Thanks for loving mercy with me!

In His Love,

Jennis

P.S. I also won this from Mercy House Kenya. Some of you asked where the items were from so here you go. 

1 & 2. Crocheted Pot holders from The Refugee Project.

3. Purple Coin Purse from Mata Traders.

4. Clutch from carry 117.

5. Headband from World Finds.

6. Necklace from Mercy House Kenya.

7. Blue Maasai bangle from Global Crafts. (Kenya Collection)

8. Beaded silver plated bracelet from Global Crafts. (Kenya Collection)

9. Recycled earrings from the Takataka Collection. 

10. Lanyard from Joyn. 

11. Garden Party cuff from Mata Traders.

12. Chevron "Your Yes Matters" Farm House Tote from Mercy House Kenya.

Fair Trade Friday: Box #3

Oh man, the first Friday of the month is one of my very favorite days. Like for real. It all has to do with Fair Trade Friday. It's a beautiful thing. Helping to empower women all over the world. The thing I love most is that my six year old looks forward to it too. She loves opening all the "presents". Together we read about all of the items in our box. Then sit down and research about where they are from. I love that time with her. You can also read about my first two Fair Trade Friday boxes here and here. So without further adieu...

This bag is from Friends of Mercy in Kenya. This fair trade reusable gift bag provides meals for one day. 

Next was a window wallet that was made in Rajpur, India by JOYN.  I love that the name of all the people who worked on this are right their on the tag! At the heart of JOYN lies a desire to see lives changed. To see those crippled by poverty and hardship dance for joy. To do this, JOYN has partnered with a nonprofit called JoyCorps to provide employees with not only steady jobs and a good work environment, but a daily meal plan, education for their children, English and vocational training, and medical care. Lives are changing as a result. JOYN continues to sell beautiful products handmade by artisans who do 100 percent of the work, from weaving to block printing to stitching. This brings JOY to those who make the products, and JOY to those who buy them.

The prayer bracelet and the hand crocheted fingerless gloves are from the Refugee Project in Houston, Texas. The United Nations has relocated more than 50,000 refugees to Houston, Texas, due to religious and ethnic persecution. The Refugee Project exists to empower refugee women by teaching them skills and product creation.

Kendall loves to be a part of it...

The next item was a beaded bracelet from Kenya by Global Crafts. Their mission is to offer income-generating opportunities to craftspeople in developing countries by following fair trade practices including paying in advance at least the market price for items, ensuring that craftspeople receive payment, and ensuring that the craftspeople work in fair working conditions. They work directly with artisans, craftspeople, and producer groups to achieve these goals and hopefully help improve the lives of some of the people with whom we share this planet.

The last item was our favorite! It's a Christmas ornament made out of paper beads from Nicaragua. It was made by the Bead Amigas. The Bead Amigas empower Nicaraguan women to create a better future for their families through art, education, and entrepreneurship. 100% of net proceeds from sales of these recycled paper beads are returned to their village in fair wages, training, and community development projects. They believe that the mutual exchange between women of different cultures, classes, and countries working for a common cause can change the world. 

Kendall already put ours on the tree! 

In one package we got items from Kenya, India, Nicaragua, and refugees from Burma, Bhutan, Nepal, and Thailand in Texas. I especially love getting to pray for each of the women who made these. It's an easy way to love and support women in other countries. You can join in on the fun here! Today there is no wait list! 

Thanks for loving mercy with me! 

In His Love, 

Jennis

Mercy House Kenya Cyber Monday

Shop the Mercy House Kenya Cyber Monday Sale here!

Fair Trade Friday: Box #2

So my 2nd Fair Trade Friday was super fun!  If you have never heard of Fair Trade Friday you can read more about it here! This was one of their high end boxes! Here's what was in it!

This bag was the first item in my box. It is handmade in Costa Rica by Mercy Covers. Mercy Covers is an outreach of the St. Bryce Missions that provides skills training, personal finance management, education, discipleship, and meaningful work for women in rural Costa Rica.

The next item was this gorgeous clutch from Korah, Ethiopia by Carry 117. Carry 117 selects carefully the women who are a part of this organization. Women that are affected by HIV, leprosy or some sort of sickness (because they are out casted from society due to the stigmas) and women that are supporting three or more family members would be given first priority in the program. Carry 117 means several things for them. First, it is named after Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” Secondly, “carry” refers to moving/carrying these women from where they currently are to a more sustainable position where they can support their families through the fruit of their labor. Their prayer is through this ministry; they would also grow to become more like Jesus, in hopes of winning all of Korah to Jesus.

This beautiful ruffle apron is from an organization called No. 41. You can read about it here from the Fair Trade Friday blog. Or you can watch this video. I think the video tells it best. 

The next item was this beautiful necklace. It is from Ecaudor! We were just in Ecuador so it has special meaning! Plus we have missionary friends who will be living in Ecuador very soon! You can find out more about them here. Anyway, this beautiful necklace was hand carved from a Tagua seed. You can find them at Yobel Market. Yobel Market exists to empower and promote the value of exploited, displaced and impoverished people groups of the world through the development of sustainable economic opportunities and fostering of education. Yobel conducts business trainings, contributes to product development, and expands global marketplaces utilizing fair trade principles while partnering with organizations committed to ethical and sustainable production processes. 

Last, was this cuff bracelet with one of my favorite verses on it! Micah 6:8! It is from Back to Africa.  In 2008 Heart of the Bride started a business development project called Back to Africa whereby hand-made jewelry was purchased from Africa and shipped back to the United States to sell in various venues. Their partners lived in extreme poverty before they began creating Back to Africa Jewelry. Today, thanks to the purchasers of their products, these same people are now able to consistently feed and clothe their children, send them to school, purchase other resources like farm animals and help their family and neighbors who are not as fortunate. As of December 2012, their artisans reported that the project is benefitting over 400 people. They have seen firsthand how a small paper bead or simple ceramic pendant can profoundly impact a community halfway around the world. Currently they have partnerships in Kenya to produce the BTA products available in this store and for home shows. In the near future they hope to expand their efforts to include Zambia and increase their partnerships in Kenya.

I think I've mentioned it, but I LOVE FAIR TRADE FRIDAY! Want to join in the fun with me? GO check them out! Thanks for loving mercy with and helping to empower women all over the world! 

In His Love, 

Jennis