Our Suppliers
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Be sure to check out products from each of our countries. Click the flags below for links to the products!!
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Featured Product of the Month 
These "Tree of Life" sets are hand-cut from calabash by Alexis of the Made in Honduras Craft Co-op. We've had Ale's jewelry before, but this time he's really taken it to the next level with the necklace made of cord and matching ribbon. The clasp is an adjustable chain which gives a length from 17 to 19"
Ale cuts each design into the calabash disks working freehand.
We only have a very few of each color, so get yours while they last! Click the picture to view and purchase this unique jewelry!!
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| Survey Feedback
We thank those of you who took our shipping survey. The results showed that (overall) you'd rather we NOT "bake" shipping costs into our pricing, then turn around and offer free shipping. Just over half of you would prefer a site that offered free shipping once your order reached a certain size ($30 in the survey question). Now I need to sharpen my pencil in view of the latest shipping rate increases. Watch for an announcement by April! |
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| Glenn:
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The (ad)Venture
March 2010
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Greetings!
WHAT A FEBRUARY!
It's been a whirlwind ride since our last newsletter! We left Rochester on the Feb. 2nd for the San Francisco International Gift Fair, then flew to Honduras in the wee hours of the 11th to visit the artisans at the Made in Honduras Craft Co-op. We had a marvelous time getting to know them, learning about their lives, and discovering the beautiful products that they produce. Rebecca will share more about that time in her first installment below.
Of course the trip wasn't without incident. On the day for us to fly home from Honduras, we were delayed a full day because of bad weather in La Ceiba, Honduras. In the process of working out the revised travel arrangements, we discovered that due to a snafu upon our arrival into Honduras on 02/11, we hadn't "legally" entered the country! Fortunately, THAT got worked out with no fines ~ or jail time! However, the day was capped off when the hard drive crashed on my laptop! But we're home and getting back in the grove of things.
By the way, if you had sent us ANY sort of correspondence from late January onward and haven't heard back from us, it is probable that the computer failure (or the email problems we had in Honduras) are responsible. Please re-contact us and we will respond promptly. Thanks!
Glenn
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Quote of the month
Then the King will say, "I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me."
~ Matthew 25:40 (The Message) ~
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Fair Trade 101
Class 4
Another Fair Trade Principle
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Payment of a fair price
A fair price in the regional or local context is one that has been agreed through dialogue and participation. It covers not only the costs of production but enables production which is socially just and environmentally sound. It provides fair pay to the producers and takes into account the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men. Fair Traders ensure prompt payment to their partners and, whenever possible, help producers with access to pre-harvest or pre-production financing.
We're occasionally asked about how we set the prices we pay our producers. We make it a policy to have our artisans set their own prices, then respond to those. We believe they are in a much better position than we are to understand what they need to earn for it to be a "fair" transaction. We will NOT try to "talk them down" so that we can get a better deal, although we might ask about whether a quantity discount is available. Upon occasion we've even suggested that their prices might be too low! Payment is normally made within a few days of receipt of the order, and on large orders we do offer to pay 50% up front. Also we ship under terms where we assume the bulk of the risk on the shipment. Painful as it would be for KVI to lose a shipment, it would be far more devastating for one of our producers to have to absorb that loss. |
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Honduran Reflections
Part 1
As you may recall, we scheduled a visit with our Honduran artisans in mid-February. This was our maiden trip to Honduras and the first face-to-face meeting with our artisans! Each day we had the opportunity to meet with a different group of artisans! Having traversed streams and ascended hillsides, we visited with them in their homes and workshops. We had the privilege of meeting one-on-one, allowing them to offer their hospitality to us. We were honored to connect with each of them at their place of comfort, meeting their families and gaining a glimpse into their homelife. These gatherings enabled us to express our interest in their creations and our affirmation for their evolving artistic talents. Come with me as I set the stage on which we will share our reflections.
Life is simple in Trujillo. It's a small town located in on Honduras' Caribbean coast near where Columbus landed in on his last voyage in 1502. Since Honduras is in the tropics, "day" and "night" are of almost equal length all year long. This sets the rhythm for life in Trujillo.
Each morning ethereal clouds stealthily curled around majestic, lush-looking, dark green mountains located immediately to the south. The sun peeked over their summits, causing those mists to amazingly vanish! By early morning the blazing hot sun had dominated the sky. It became so sweltering it is challenging to even think!
On other days we were treated to cool, damp rains, bringing a bit of relief. But the joy of relief was tempered with significant challenges to those most basic tasks: drying clothes, drying hand-made bricks and drying the precious, freshly picked coffee! Convenience and commerce are at the mercy of the weather.
 For these families, the day begins early with a cup of Honduran coffee - for them a necessity of life! For the adult males, IF there was construction work available in the region, they likely left for work before sunrise, returning home long after dark. The mothers tend their children and their homes. The basic daily tasks await each of the women. Most homes now have running cold water - at least at a standpipe in the yard. Many may have access to electricity, although it may be a single bulb per home. "Public education" is available through grade 6. However the children would only be able to attend classes if the family could afford to pay their school fees.Naturally, if being able to supply food for one's family is a daily challenge, having the children attend school is a luxury most cannot afford. (NOTE: school fees and uniforms cost about US$50/student/year and the classrooms have dozens and dozens of students per teacher, with that teacher usually being under-trained and inconsistently paid by the government.)
 We found ourselves in the "greater Trujillo area" situated alongside the main (and only) paved road. Our artisans reside in one of three locales: in small communities of "acquired land" that have sprung up alongside the main road, in small care-taker houses on privately-owned properties, or in the village of Guadalupe Carney, land taken from the ranchers and given the villagers by the government. These small communities are located in a rural setting. None of our artisans owns any motorized vehicles. Transportation consists of walking or having the luxury of a bicycle (built for one, but can carry many!) Bus transportation is available ~ for those who can afford bus fare.
In order to visit our artisans, it was necessary to travel off the main road. Washed out from the heavy seasonal rains, these dirt roads are quite hard and dusty in the dry season, making them passable usually only by foot or 4-wheel drive vehicles (unless you are an adventuresome bicyclist!) The locals scamper like gazelles over these routes and up & down hillsides to their homes. However February is rainy season and we discovered when walking in wet weather that farmer's boots were the ONLY choice of foot attire for us! How very fashionable! Even then it was quite a feat for us to traverse streams and gingerly select one's way over precarious, slippery pathways!
Our charge was to cultivate relationships. THIS is The Reason we traveled the distance to be there ~ It is ALL about The People! Join me next month for our more in-depth journey into our time with these charming people! | |
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