Ten Thousand Villages

Hi Everyone,
Today I am writing about a wonderful little shop in Garden City, not far from where I live.  There are many of them all over the globe.  This is a non-profit organization and this is a short quote from their website,  http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/ , about how it began:

The global fair trade movement began with the founding of Ten Thousand Villages more than 60 years ago through the visionary work of Edna Ruth Byler, a pioneering businesswoman. Byler was struck by the overwhelming poverty she witnessed during a trip to Puerto Rico in 1946, where she was moved to take action. The seminal contribution of Byler ignited a global movement to eradicate poverty through market-based solutions.

In this store, you can find a wide variety of artisan works, from jewelry to garden pots, to books to coffee, spicy hot chocolate and tea.  Each purchase supports a woman's business somewhere in a developing nation.  Here are some things that I have purchased there.

Bracelet from India



Necklace from India

Necklace from Guatemala

I also found a very pretty pot for my indoor garden.  It was made in Vietnam.

I found a very lovely tagine here also.  It is a vessel for cooking Morrocan dishes and is originally Berber.  You can make wonderful and tasty dishes in it, as you see from my cookbook.

There are many beverages which are made by businesses supported by Ten Thousand Villages.  All these businesses are engaged in Fair Trade principles.  Some of the beverages include a variety of coffee and tea, as well as one of the best spicy hot chocolates that I have ever tasted.  If you are familliar with the film or book, "Chocolat", you will know exactly what I mean!

Here is their brochure.  Find one near you or go online.  It is worth your time and buying power!

Have a great day,

Barbara