Ten Thousand Villages Ottawa

Partnership Event: Support Fair Trade Ottawa Équitable

2012-01-18T13:39:00.001-05:00

We are thrilled to be hosting our first Partnership Event of 2012, with Fair Trade Ottawa Équitable! This dedicated group of Fair Traders are working to make Ottawa a Fair Trade City. You can read all about their work, or come down to the store in Westboro on Thursday, January 26th from 5-9pm to speak with them.

There will be Fair Trade goodies and live music by The Tories. It is a great chance to get out and support the Fair Trade movement in Ottawa. We will be donating a percentage of the sales from the evening to their fundraising efforts.

Make an Impact on Boxing Week

2011-12-26T15:26:00.000-05:00

Ten Thousand Villages in Ottawa is proud to be having an alternative Boxing Week special. For the second year in a row, both stores in Ottawa will donate 10% of our sales from December 27-31st to Bruce House.

Working with Bruce House is both a privilege and an honour for us. Many of our artisan groups work with individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and they require many of the same things that Bruce House provides in Ottawa. We believe that no matter where you live, you deserve to live a life of dignity. Partnering with Bruce House for a Boxing Week Special like this one, allows us to make many of these global connections and little closer for our customers and volunteers.

While many around the world were taking action to recognize World AIDS Day on December 1st, we were planning on continuing this partnership with Bruce House.

Please consider coming by the stores between December 27th - 31st and picking up a bag of coffee, a handicraft or a new piece of jewellery. Not only will you be supporting artisans from the around the world with a Fair Trade purchase but you will also be supporting Bruce House achieve their mission in Ottawa.

Best Gifts for... Grandparents!

2011-12-18T13:50:00.000-05:00

So often grandparents are some of the hardest people to shop for as they always come back, "I don't need anything!", but many of us still want something for them to open on Christmas morning.

Giving Fair Trade to grandparents allows for this and for artisans to earn a living with dignity and respect! It is a gift that gives more than once.

Some great ideas for grandmothers include a piece of handmade jewellery, a photo frame, some soap or a cookbook to try out some recipes!

Grandfathers can always be a challenge, but most would love a game that they can play with you. Often sitting and playing we hear the best stories from them. Another popular item are shesham wood noses for holding eyeglasses. When we asked our volunteers, the Peach & Ginger Jam came back as a popular choice for holiday giving!

If you need some more ideas, or shopping inspiration, don't be shy in asking our volunteers! They volunteer in the store to help support our artisans and love the opportunity to give customers a hand.

Best Gifts for...Teachers!

2011-12-15T12:00:00.001-05:00

Giving teachers a gift for Christmas is a great way to show that you appreciate what they’re doing for your child. Let them know that you appreciate the world too by buying them a Fair Trade Christmas gift.

Notebooks are always useful for busy teachers who need to record schedules, ideas, and other important things. The multicoloured notebooks which we carry from Bangladesh will brighten up their day and become a personal ideas book.

Another great idea is to give your teacher one of our inspiring “How to…” posters. They have phrases describing how to build a community, a global community, hot to stop global warming, and how to go organic! Come in and read them, your teacher would really appreciate all of the thought which was put into getting this gift.

For a little gift that really says teacher, we have beautifully carved onyx apple paper weights. Give an apple that will stay with them forever. Made in Pakistan by the Dominion Traders, each apple is very individual in the colours which are present in it.

Another great idea of two gifts in one, is giving one of our Himalayan tea purses. Made from Himalayan bushes in Nepal, these bags of tea come in a beautifully woven purse which would be great for any female teacher.

Our wide variety of ornaments could also make beautiful additions to your teacher’s Christmas tree and each tell their own, personal stories.

If you’re still stuck, giving a gift card from Ten Thousand Villages is a great way of saying Happy Holidays and identifying that your are conscious about our world.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...Dad!

2011-12-14T12:00:00.007-05:00

Do you need a great gift for a dad who doesn’t want anything? Well here’s a good place to start!

Choose one of our mugs and fill it with a package of our wonderful Brazil nuts. Add in a package of coffee or hot chocolate, which ever your dad likes best, and some chocolate. That’s sure to be a great and tasty gift for your dad.

Another great gift would be either one of our shesham wood desk calendars or one of our wall calendars which depict wonderful pictures from around the world.

For all of the chess playing fathers, the mini travelers chess set, also made from shesham wood, would make a great gift under the tree. These boards are handmade with lots of care by the Asha Handicrafts Association in India. Each piece will remind your dad how much you love him.

One intriguing present for your dad would be to give him one of our clay bird whistles. These are great little gifts that are very unique, and their sound is often featured in Peruvian music

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...the Eco-Warrior!

2011-12-13T12:00:00.002-05:00

Is there someone in your life who is very conscious about the Earth and takes a hands on approach to saving and renewing our planet? Well, we have a great diversity of products made from recycled glass, newspaper, magazines, and more.

Buy a set of our Recycled Glass cups, great for a refreshing drink, and a refreshing view on life.

Our recycled newspaper trivets and recycled magazine bowls are perfect for decorating, are practical for using, and make great conversation starters.

If you’re really looking for the unique factor, take a pick from our multitude of bicycle chain picture frames, made in different shapes in India.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...Boss!

2011-12-12T12:00:00.001-05:00

Bosses can be difficult to buy for sometimes. For an easy decision, buy them a Fair Trade Christmas gift. We have a variety of products which would be great for a boss’ desk or their home.

Letter racks can help keep your boss organized and our shesham wood letter rack and desk calendar would be great compliments for each other.

For a wise boss, give them one of our little African Proverb books. These can be inspiring and funny. They can be given with a box of tea or a bag of coffee and make a perfect little Christmas package to keep inspiration and exhilaration for the coming year.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...Mom!

2011-12-10T12:00:00.001-05:00

Your mom is special, so she should receive a gift that is just as special for Christmas.

For tea-drinking moms, our tea cup with an infuser will be a great present and adding in a box of tea will be greatly appreciated. Or choose a tea pot and tea cup set from the multitude of choice we offer of styles and colours.

Bookends are a great way to make your mom’s bookshelf stand out. Add to this a hand written note on a handmade card and her Christmas will be made.

If you’re bringing flowers as a little gift for Christmas dinner, why not place them in a Burma teak or onyx vase. These are two of the most unique items in our store and are sure to wow your mom!

For a gift with extra meaning, give a collection of the Sacred Mark soaps which we have, in ginger neem, chai masala, and cinnamon scents. These are each delicately made by women from Bangladesh and are each sealed with the individual thumb print of the woman who made it.

Because mothers represent home, give your mom a Home/Maison rock to show her that you feel at home when you’re with her. From the purchase of each, $1 goes to Habitat for Humanity to help them build a home for another family.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...Colleague!

2011-12-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, you have one friend at work who you really appreciate having. This Christmas, get them a Fair Trade gift to show them that you care.

Give them a unique ornament to match their office space or their personality. Choose from anytime ornaments to Christmas trees or lanterns!

For the coffee drinking colleagues, present them with a special mug, a bag of coffee, and a chocolate bar to help them get through the cold winter of work.

For the cooking fans in your office, purchase one of our many wonderful cookbooks filled with recipes from around the world. Give their kitchen a hint of worldly travel!

To add to your colleague’s desk, give them one of our river rock paperweights made in Vietnam. These only one of its kind paperweights will make a great talking point for anyone who walks into their office.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...the Barista!

2011-12-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone likes coffee, but some people just love it! For that special someone in your life, we have the perfect gift or gift package that would suit their taste.

Choose from our wide variety of mugs that range from classy to comfy, and are in many different colours. These ones are made in India at the International Foundation for Fair Trade and Development by the skilled hands of ceramic making artisans.

To add to your little bundle of goodies for your personal Barista, choose from a selection of our Level Ground coffees or our Equator brand coffees, each providing a unique mixture of flavours. And top it off with an espresso or coffee chocolate bar from Cocoa Camino or Divine Chocolate.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...a Teenage Girl!

2011-12-07T12:00:00.003-05:00

Are your teenage girls hard to shop for? Do they want all of those designer brand-name bags and clothes for Christmas? Instead, why not get them a present which they might really appreciate, educate them about Fair Trade, and still keep them in fashion.

A nice scarf to brighten up the winter weather would be a great Christmas gift! Or you can combine that into a little gift bag with a pair of earrings and a necklace, and maybe add in one of our beautifully decorated notebooks, made of handmade paper.

Choose from a variety of our knitted wool products that come with a rainbow of colours that are in fashion and fair trade!

We have many little change purses and lip balms that can make a great stocking stuffer.

We also have a variety of sports balls for the active teen girls! Come in and support being active!

For more ideas and shopping inspiratoin, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...Non-Christmas!

2011-12-06T12:00:00.001-05:00

Not everybody celebrates Christmas, but it’s still nice to show your friends that you appreciate them. For those who are non-Christmas celebrators, we have many options.

For those who are celebrating Hanukah, we have a wonderful recycled bicycle chain menorah made by the creative hands of artisans working with the Noah’s Ark International.

As a simple gift with no celebration aspect, we have our new 2012 calendars in, which make a great gift to bring in the New Year.

And there’s always the choice of coffee, tea, or chocolate as a well earned present after a long, hard-working fall season.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...a Husband!

2011-12-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

Husbands can be difficult people to buy for somtimes. You want to get something that they'll use, but also add in a little sentimental value to it. If you need some ideas, we've got them!

Choose one of our bicycle-chain frames, in both rectangular and circular styles, and put in a special picture of the two of you. This is great if you have an active husband, who enjoys going on bike-rides, one who has a rustic style, or one who looks for uniqueness. To continue with this theme, you can add in a bicycle-chain bottle opener, which will make a great conversation piece as well as a handy tool. These products are made in India by the Noah's Ark International group, which represents around 300 full-time artisans!

For the chess-playing, or chess-collecting, husband, we have a beautiful chess set made of Pakistani onyx stone. The pieces are very intricately carved by artisans with the Dominion Traders group, mostly situated by the seaside city of Karachi. Our onyx products are very unique because of the differing colours that you get in all of the different pieces.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...a Little Girl!

2011-12-03T12:00:00.002-05:00

Do you want to buy something this Christmas that is different than anything else that you could find for a little girl? Then come on in and look through assortment of brightly coloured children's products to find the perfiect little present for the perfect little girl.

Choose from an assortment of books, prefect for many different ages, with good messages about love, cultures, and the world.

Pick one or two of our many change purses or small purses for a girl who loves to dress up or go out shopping with her mom. Many of these products, like our unique turtle coin purse, are made in India by a group called CRC Exports Private Ltd., who represent over 2,000 leartherworkers, textile creators, silk weavers, and tailors.

To help make a money conscious girl, pick one of our beautifully made money banks, differing in shapes and colours. We even have an elephant bank!

For a sporty girl, we have soccer balls, basket bals, footballs, and volleyballs to make an active and energetic kid!

Or choose a musical instrument, like a drum, to introduce your little girl to the world of music. Add one of our Putumayo CDs to include some fun and cultural flare.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...Secret Santa!

2011-12-02T12:00:00.004-05:00

Are you doing an office Secret Santa at Christmas this year? Maybe one with your extended family? There's always a huge struggle over what to get someone that you don't necessarily know all that well. Why not try some of these ideas; they work for both genders, are all very unique, and are completely Fair Trade, best of all worlds for a Secret Santa Exchange!

Choose from a variety of different Christmas ornaments, like a pair of reindeer made of recycled tin pop cans from Kenya or hearts made of recycled paper from Vietnam.

Make a Living Gift donation, which is a gift of inspiration to the receiver in learning and appreciating the world of Fair Trade, and counts as a double gift that goes to your Secret Santa as well as a special Secret Santa around the world.

Chocolate is always a crowd pleaser, a box of Divine Dark Chocolate After Dinner Mints is a sweet treat that is available just for the holiday season.

Still stuck? Well one other great gift idea to keep the theme of Fair Trade going is to get a gift card for your Secret Santa. This allows them to enjoy the experience of shopping in Ten Thousand Villages for themselves.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...a Wife!

2011-11-29T12:00:00.001-05:00

Do you have trouble buying for your wife at Christmas because either she seems to want everything or nothing at all? Come and look at these great ideas that any wife is sure to be ecstatic about.

We have amazing choices of jewellery, in different colours and styles. You can buy a Tree of Life necklace made from shell casings found in Cambodia, giving a symbol of peace made from the legacy of wars.

We also have many different products which can be beautifully combined into a relaxation package for your wife after a long and hardworking fall. Choose a tea light that accentuates your wife’s style; add a couple bars of chocolate to sweeten the experience, and some tea to warm her soul.

If you’re simply looking for a gift to show what she means to you, choose one of our warm, cashmere or silk scarves that say you warm my heart!

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Supporting: Education in Action

2011-11-28T16:26:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite ways to reach out and support our community is with Partnership Evenings. This is a chance for a local organization to come into the store for an evening of shopping, fellowship and fundraising. After a great evening of shopping and learning about Fair Trade we give a percentage of the sales to that organization!

On Thursday, December 1st, Education in Action, will be coming to both our Ottawa stores for a night of shopping and fundraising. They will earn a percentage of the sales to their fundraising efforts, and we continue to support our artisans. Since our artisans are fully paid before our products ever leave the country of origin, this donation does not impact their income.

Education in Action was established in 2006 by Spanish instructor Roberto Miranda. Education in Action is a housing project in Guatemala that is administered by a group of Canadian volunteers.

Throughout the year, volunteers organize activities to raise awareness and funds for purchasing construction materials to build houses in some of the poorest communities in Guatemala with the support of the Comité Campesino del Altiplano (CCDA), a grassroots’ coalition working to protect the rights of farmers in Guatemala.

Participants pay their own travel costs and donate their own time to work hand in hand with Mayan families to rebuild their homes following the devastation left by Hurricane Stan.

The objective is to build dwellings for rural families living in extreme poverty. Like most Mayan communities in the Highlands, families are forced to make a living on small plots of parched land, eroded by wind and exposed to extreme elements much of the year.

These areas have long been marginalized, lacking basic infrastructure and services, and exposed to military incursions by the Guatemalan army in the seventies and eighties. Since the signing of the peace treaty, the CCDA has organized communities in 11 districts of the country, providing support on questions of land rights, credit, training and educational scholarships as well as the defense of Mayan culture and agricultural practices. The CCDA has also organized cooperatives that produce fairly-traded, organic coffee known as Café Justicia, which is sold across Canada in support of the Mayan Farming communities.

Project goals:

Work hand in hand with families in the rebuilding of their homes.
Empower the communities through solidarity.
Educate Canadian participants regarding international solidarity and the empowerment of communities.
Security and protection for the CCDA and communities through International Accompaniment.

To learn more about Education in Action and the work they do in Guatemala please visit their website or like them on Facebook.

If you would like to learn more about having a Partnership Evening in our stores for your organization, give our stores a call.

Best Gifts for...the Host!

2011-11-25T12:00:00.007-05:00

For the host in your life, who creates the most extravagant dinner parties, tea parties, dessert parties, and the likes, make a little serving set as a unique Christmas present.

The Batik tray was made using a century-old technique to create the elegant design on the surface. Choose a set of serving plates, tea or coffee cups, and some linens to create a beautiful new set for someone whose joy in life is hosting others.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Partnerhips Evenings

2011-11-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

Non-profit and community groups can partner with Ten Thousand Villages in Ottawa for Partnership Evenings. This is a chance for a group to earn a percentage of the sales from an evening of shopping and fellowship towards their fundraising goals. This is a fabulous opportunity to support artisans through Fair Trade purchases and support a local organization at the same time.

This holiday season we have a number of groups that are choosing to fundraise and support Fair Trade.
We started the holiday season with staff and volunteers from the Canadian Red Cross national office. Learning about Fair Trade through a presentation in their office inspired the group to come in and learn more about the artisans. They shopped and raised funds for their amazing programs.

On Thursday, November 24th, the High School Sustainability Club, made of students from three area schools will at our 371 Richmond Road store raising funds for their trip to Costa Rica. All purchases between 5-9pm will help these students in their fundraising efforts!

We are thrilled that this year, Education in Action, will be joining us for an evening of shopping and fundraising. Education in Action was established in 2006 by Spanish instructor Roberto Miranda. Education in Action is a housing project in Guatemala that is administered by a group of Canadian volunteers. Throughout the year, volunteers organize activities to raise awareness and funds for purchasing construction materials to build houses in some of the poorest communities in Guatemala with the support of the Comité Campesino del Altiplano (CCDA), a grassroots’ coalition working to protect the rights of farmers in Guatemala.

Shopping at both our 371 Richmond Road and 1174 Bank Street locations on Thursday, December 1ts, will contribute towards Education in Action's fundraising efforts.

For the third year in a row, Grannies to Ambuyas, one of the local Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign groups will be coming in for an evening of shopping and fundraising at both locations. This fun group brings high energy and excitement with them each time they come. This year it will be on Thursday, December 8th from 5-9pm and both Ottawa stores.

The Stephen Lewis Foundation launched the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign in March 2006, in response to the emerging crisis faced by African grandmothers as they struggled to care for millions of children orphaned by AIDS. What began with only a few groups of committed Canadian grandmothers has since evolved into a dynamic and responsive movement, made up of grandmothers and grandmothers working to mobilize support in Canada for Africa’s grandmothers.

Funds from the Grandmothers Campaign are used to support African grandmothers with food, health care, school fees and school uniforms for their grandchildren, income-generating programmes, counselling, social support, essential shelter, and other necessities. Throughout Africa, grassroots organizations run by and for grandmothers are sharing insights, deepening their expertise, collaborating with other local organizations, and building their capacity to turn the tide of AIDS at community level.

Our final evening of shopping and fundraising will be on Tuesday, December 13th at our 1174 Bank Street location is with Sunflower Co-operative Day Nursery. This non-profit, parent involved co-operative is coming in to shop, learn about Fair Trade and raise funds for new pre-school equipment.

Please consider coming in to our stores and shopping on any of these evenings. Every purchase not only supports Fair Trade and our artisans, but a percentage will go to these great groups we are proud to partner with.

For more information on our Partnership Evenings, please contact Judy at either store location.

Best Gifts for...Ten Dollar Gifts!

2011-11-22T12:00:00.005-05:00

There’s always that one Christmas swap game, or small Christmas party that requires a gift for $10 or less. Are you having trouble finding one that would work for your event? Why not pick from our list which includes a wide variety of products and functions.

The Aloe Vera hand cream has amazing properties, combining natural ingredients to keep hands moist and soft. This is a great littler gift that would work wonderfully in a gift swap.

Choose from a selection of chutneys, jams, and curries for a tasty and less expensive present. Perhaps the Hot Mango Chutney for the fiery person in your life, or the Guava Jam.

For someone with a passion for writing, give them our Zebra Print Journal to fuel their creativity. Constructed from handmade paper in Nepal, they are great gifts for the creative soul.

Do you know anyone who loves making soup, enjoys having little treats out for guests, or loves having a variety of dipping sauces with meals? I wonderful gift would be giving them a decorative small bowl, or set made in Vietnam by Mai Vietnamese Handicrafts.

Our jewellery has a wide range of prices, many bracelets ranging from $5 to $10, each with a unique colour, shine, or look that would be great for many people.

An easy and versatile gift could be one of the leaf trivets from the Noah’s Ark International in India. It can act as decor on the table, and also be used as a trivet.

For a more eclectic gift we have a mini incense kit, made by the Asha Handicrafts Association in India.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Best Gifts for...Giving Hope!

2011-11-18T12:00:00.007-05:00

Although Christmas is a very joyous time of year for most people, there are some who need an extra little bit of inspiration in their lives.

Little gifts can act as a reminder that no one needs to bear hard times alone. Giving a Courage or Hope Rock can be that reminder for someone in your life.

A soft scarf always gives a sense of warmth and comfort. The white cotton and silk made by caring hands of the Craft Link group will give just the comfort and hope that anyone needs at such a joyous time of the year.

For someone more spiritual, give them a small Praying Angel made out of kisii stone from Kenya to remind them that they always have someone else to rely on.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Choosing a Gift that Keeps on Giving

2011-11-17T09:34:00.001-05:00

A few years ago, Tudi McLaine began giving her six grandchildren a different type of gift for Christmas. It is a simple idea: each child chooses an animal and she makes a charitable donation that involves that animal.

That tradition brought Tudi to the Living Gifts display at the Ten Thousand Villages festival sale this past weekend. The $35 donation to provide a milk goat and training in agriculture to a Kenyan family caught her eye. While she’s given to humane societies and the Toronto Zoo in the past, she took a pamphlet to let her grandchildren know about Living Gifts.

“I feel this is what Christmas is all about,” she says. “We have so much to begin with and we don’t need any other material goods, so why not help others around the world?”

Jane Snider (left) tells Tudi McLaine and Barbara Gray
about the options for Living Gifts projects.

Barbara Gray agrees. For her, Living Gifts are the solution for those hard-to-buy-for people in her life, but it’s also about encouraging others to take up the same tradition.

“It’s a great way to introduce people to this kind of gift giving,” Barbara says. “If I can’t find anything physical to buy someone, there are a lot of different choices, like buying a dam, empowerment or a farm.”

This year, Living Gifts cover a range of Mennonite Central Committee projects. A mere $24 equips students with school supplies through the Global Family Program and $300 sponsors a child or young adult in Vietnam or Honduras for a year of advanced education. For a $25 donation, women in the Pobitra program gain the literacy and soap-making training needed to begin a new life and $40 buys the cement to build a sand dam to supply water to a village in Tanzania or Zambia. As well as the goat donation that peaked Tudi’s interest, $350 can fill a whole farmyard with animals that give families a healthy diet and income.

Over the years, this kind of giving has had an impact on Jane Snider. She and her husband Larry Nafziger spent 10 years overseas as Ten Thousand Villages and Mennonite Central Committee representatives.

“It’s all about the artisans,” says Jane, who volunteered at the Living Gifts display this past weekend. “You see the difference these opportunities can make.”

Remember: Living Gifts can be purchased at the festival sale at Ottawa Mennonite Church (1830 Kilborn Avenue) for the next two weeks or at the Ottawa store locations up until December 31, 2011.

Best Gifts for...Chocoholics!

2011-11-15T00:00:00.009-05:00

For all the chocoholics in your life, this is the perfect place to stop and buy the ultimate chocolate care package for a great and tasty gift.

First, choose a mug from our selection of colours and designs that would compliment your chocoholics taste. Then, sort through our selection of both Cocoa Camino and Divine chocolate bars for the favourites or choose them all! Add to that a couple packages of hot chocolate mix, some of the delicious chocolate snack bars that we have, and finish it all off with the Bittersweet World of Chocolate cookbook, and there you have it, the perfect gift package for the ultimate chocoholic.

If that seems like a little too much chocolate, stick to buying a few of our scrumptious small chocolate bars or minis, add in a couple packs of hot chocolate mix and a mug to wrap them all up in.

For more ideas and shopping inspiration, talk to our volunteers. They love to help find that perfect gift.

Festival Sale, Tearoom Part of a Family Christmas Tradition

2011-11-11T13:10:00.001-05:00

For the women of Darlene Fast’s family, the Ten Thousand Villages festival sale is a cherished tradition that gets them in the Christmas spirit. It all starts in the tearoom.

Darlene Fast, centre with her daughter Christina, and her family have made
the Ten Thousand Villages festival sale a
tradition for the past six years.
From left to right: Karrianne Klein, Lena Goertzen,
Christina Fast, Darlene Fast, Brittany Ernst and Paula Ernst.

“When we get here we ask, should we do the tearoom first? These two,” she says, pointing to her daughter Christina and niece Brittany Ernst. “They are like ‘Oh yeah!’”

This year the tearoom was so crowded that the group, which includes Darlene’s daughter Christina, her mother Lena Goertzen, her sister Paula Ernst, Paula’s daughter Brittany and their sister-in-Christ Karrianne Klein, ate their homemade borscht in the volunteer room. Then it was off to start shopping.

Tearoom co-ordinator Maria Rigby was hopping
from one thing to another to make sure
the first day of the tearoom goes off without a hitch.

“She does her Christmas shopping here every year,” says Darlene, with her arm around her daughter Christina. “She has a list and it’s no stress because it is one place to shop for dad, oma and the cousins.”

While this has been their tradition for about six years, the women also appreciate the long Mennonite tradition of fair trade.

“What is cool is that they were selling fair trade before anyone knew what fair trade was. Everyone else is a copycat,” Karrianne jokes. “Fair trade has only become chic in the last 10 years or so.”

Darlene says that’s what really draws them out every year.

“If they were just selling anything, we wouldn’t be here,” she says. “It is nice to know our Christmas dollars are going to a good place.”

Paula agrees. She says doing her Christmas shopping at the festival sale is like giving two gifts.

“What I really love is that we get to give a beautiful gift to someone, but we also give to someone in another country,” Paula says. “We try to make sure the explanation is included in the box with the gift. People are really touched that we do that for them.”

Julia Bruno tries to convince festival sale co-ordinator
Marla Huddleston to take a break for some delicious tearoom treats.

The women also appreciate that the proceeds from their lunch also go to a good cause. This year, the tearoom profits will go back into the Ten Thousand Villages program, benefiting the artisans and their families. Maria Rigby, tearoom co-ordinator, says they’ll likely also continue the long tradition of making a donation to the Ottawa Food Bank.

Maria, who’s been helping co-ordinate the tearoom with Martha Wiebe for over a decade, says they’ve now got it down to an art. Almost everything is donated, which means more money for Ten Thousand Villages. Rideau Bakery donates bread and the fruits and vegetables are supplied by Loblaws, who, along with Metro, also donate grocery cards that are used to buy milk, napkins and other non-food items for the tearoom. Then there are the volunteers who make the borscht and dessert.

Near the end of a long busy day in the tearoom,
co-ordinator Martha Wiebe gets a head start on the clean up.

“Just think of all the people who baked and donated food to the tearoom, only to come here and buy it back again!” says Maria.

For Maria, the tearoom is a special part of the sale. She says food is one way to get to people’s hearts.

“There’s a warmth that’s part of Ten Thousand Villages and we think tea, coffee and borscht just add to that warmth. That’s where the heart is.”

Remember, you still have three more weeks to check out the Festival Sale:

Where: The Ottawa Mennonite Church at 1830 Kilborn Avenue (free parking, wheelchair accessible)

When: Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the month of November.

Head start on Christmas with Ottawa Festival Sale!

2011-11-09T11:12:00.000-05:00

It was a great first weekend of our Ottawa Festival Sale.

The Ottawa Festival sale opened for the first of four November weekends yesterday at 3pm. Beautifully set up and well attended; there were many costumers and volunteers who paid a visit to get a head start on their Christmas shopping.

Be sure to stop by the Ottawa Mennonite Church on a Friday afternoon or Saturday day to check out the multitude of Ten Thousand Villages Fair Trade products that they’re displaying and selling, and stop by the Tea Room for a homemade lunch and tasty desserts.

A better scarf for a better world

2011-10-31T14:48:00.000-04:00

The weather is beginning to get chilly, the leaves have turned reds and oranges and begun to fall. That means that it's time to get the mitts, hats, and SCARVES out for another winter!

This year, as the weather gets cold here, you can have the chance to help people in the horn of Africa get food. These unique, 100% cotton scarves are made by the group Craft Link Kenya...

With the purchase of every scarf, $5 goes towards the famine relief in Africa (through MCC). Also, Craft Link Kenya has pledged to contribute another 10% from each sale towards providing dried foods for their artisans and families.

This winter, as you wrap yourself up in a warm scarf, remember that you're also wrapped in the knowledge that you found another way to help our ailing world

Continuing to give the continuing gifts...

2011-10-29T12:07:00.000-04:00

As Christmas is nearing, we are starting up our Living Gifts Projects again. From November 5th to December 31st, 2011 you will be able to buy a Living Gift in both of our Ottawa store locations. These projects, organized by MCC, are charitable donations, each one affecting a person, family, or community in a different way.

This year’s projects are:

Give Opportunity - $24 gives school supplies to equip students with the resources needed to go to school, through the Global Family Program. This gives many opportunities to children who would not otherwise have the opportunity, supplies, or ability to become educated. This gift of opportunity will help to encourage and expand the horizons of many children.

Give Empowerment - $25 gives literacy and soap making training to support a woman who is beginning a new life, through the Pobitra program. This gift of empowerment allows women to begin fresh, to become proud and empowered with their skills and knowledge.

Give a Goat - $35 gives one female milk goat and training in agriculture and livestock management to a family in Kenya. With this gift, these families and communities are able to create a livelihood for themselves. Giving a goat also gives the chance to improve societies.

Give a Sand Dam - $40 gives four bags of cement and provides materials to build a sand dam that supplies valuable water to a village in Tanzania or Zambia. These dams give clean water with ever rain fall, but they also allow for agriculture to grow, trees growing along the sides of the sand dams giving fruit and vegetables. Giving a dam give increased health, opportunity, and community to these people.

Give Education - $300 gives one year of sponsorship to provide Global Family sponsorship for a child or young adult in Vietnam or Honduras. This allows for advanced education, which in turn creates many more opportunities for these young people.

Give a Farmyard - $350 gives animals to fill the farmyard and help families change their economic status by providing a healthy diet and income. The gift of a farmyard goes far beyond simply sustaining a family; it encourages growth, expansion, education, and community in villages.

Remember to think about the gifts that you are planning on giving to your loved ones this Christmas. Why not buy a gift that keeps on giving.

Home is Where the Heart is

2011-10-27T16:33:00.000-04:00

Brought to us by the Tara Project, these unique paperweights are all engraved with words on them. We have just received a new word to add to our collection: Home/Maison

With the purchase of either of these, 1$ goes towards helping Habitat for Humanity build a house.

Each stone is in the shape of a heart, and has Home written on one side and Maison on the other. It’s wonderful how such a small object can go such a long way, both in helping others and as a reminder of what we are capable of doing to help the world.

OMC Festival Sale 2011!

2011-10-08T14:13:00.001-04:00

The fall season is rolling its way into November, and that means it’s time for another amazing Festival Sale at the Ottawa Mennonite Church. From the 4th until the 26th of November (every Friday evening and Saturday day) OMC will be hosting multitudes of Ten Thousand Villages products.

Where: 1830 Kilborn Avenue, Ottawa
When: Weekends of the 4th to the 26th
Times: Fridays 3:00pm to 8:00pm
Saturdays 10:00am to 4:00pm

This is another great way to have a Fair Trade Christmas! Hope to see you there!

Let them eat cake!

2011-09-28T13:14:00.000-04:00

We are thrilled to be turning 65 this Saturday. It is a major milestone for businesses, and an even greater one for a non-profit business!

Our volunteers and long time supporters will be joining us this Saturday, October 1st in both of our Ottawa locations. We will be celebrating a long history of working with artisans to empower them to earn a living with dignity and respect.

To top it all off, we will be cutting a cake at both locations at 1:30pm! We are so thrilled that we can work with a fabulous local baker to help us out, Auntie Loos' Treats will be making a fabulous cake to celebrate 65 years.

Auntie Loos' Treats is a small vegan bakery. Ms. Loo learned to cook at the knees of her family members, and the majority of what she produces are these very recipes- veganized! Auntie Loos' firmly believes that if you want a dessert, it had better taste like one.  Auntie Loos uses organic products whenever possible, and works with and purchases from small local businesses.

Thank you Auntie Loos for being a part of our community and sharing in our big milestone.

Students Save Here!

2011-09-24T14:00:00.003-04:00

We all buy stuff, you can't deny it. So why not buy Fair Trade?! This year, our two Ottawa stores are participating in the Canadian Studentsaver Program.

Any student who has an ISIC (International Student Identification Card) or a Studentsaver Card will receive 10% off all regular priced merchandise.

All you have to do is present your card when you purchase items. Be sure to check that your card hasn't expired, only 2011/2012 cards will be accepted. This is a great way to save some money and buy some great gifts, chocolate, coffee, and more!

For more information on how to get a card and where else it can be used, be sure to check out the Studentsaver website. Be sure to come and shop!

Our Bank St. location is a short 15 or 20 minute bus ride from UOttawa, CarletonU, and Algonquin College.

A Baking Celebration

2011-09-23T15:07:00.002-04:00

As we celebrate our 65th Anniversary on October 1st, many of us will be celebrating out founder, the phenomenal Edna Ruth Byler. Not only was she a forward thinking woman, who saw that employment for women could change their lives, she was a renowned baker. Ms. Byler submitted one of her best recipes to one of our best selling cookbooks, More with Less, which has been in print for over 35 years. This recipe can be found on page 65 of the current edition in our stores now.

This October, why not consider giving her all purpose baked good recipe a try.

Potato Dough Baked Goods

Produces 100 doughnuts or rolls.

Preheat an oven to 400º or deep fryer to 375º, depending on recipe

Dissolve:

3 pkg. dry yeast in

1 c. lukewarm water

Mix in large bowl: 1 qt. scalded milk

2 c. mashed potatoes (no milk added)

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. margarine

1 c. sugar

Let cool to lukewarm, then add:

yeast mixture

6 c. flour

Let stand until mixture foams up (about 20 minutes)

Add:

2 eggs, beaten

1 T. salt

11-12 c. additional flour

A little more flour may be needed, but dough should be soft. Turn out on floured board and knead until satiny. Let raise in warm place until doubled in bulk.

Doughnuts: Roll out dough, cut doughnuts, place on trays and let raise until not quite double. Fry in hot shortening (375º). When drained and while still hot dip in glaze mixture. Insert a stick through holes and let a number of doughnuts drain over glaze bowl until next ones are ready to do.

Glaze

Combine:

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 T. margarine

1 t. vanilla

dash of mace

enough rich milk to make thin icing

Cinnamon buns: Prepare a mixture of butter and margarine and a mixture of sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Roll a piece of dough to about 18x9". Spread dough with butter mixture and sprinkle on some of the sugar mixture. Roll up the dough as for a jelly roll. Cut 1 ½” chunks and place in greased pans, pressing down lightly on each chunk. Cover and let rise in warm place until nearly double in size. Bake at 400º for 15-20 minutes or until browned. These may be iced with doughnut glaze as soon as they are taken from the oven.

Sticky buns: Handle dough same as for cinnamon buns, except make a mixture of brown and white sugar, cinnamon, and a little white corn syrup and water. Spread in bottom of heavily greased pans with nuts, if desired, before putting in rolls. Immediately after baking, invert pans over trays and let syrup run down before removing pans.

Dinner rolls: Shape dough as desired, place on greased pans, and bake at 400º starting on a lower rack and changing to upper rack about halfway through for 15 minutes of baking time. Brush tops lightly with butter to remove any floury appearance.

Coffee cake: A good way to use all the leftover bits of dough - put dough in greased pan, dab or punch holes in it, and spread leftover sugar, syrup, or butter mixtures over. Let raise and bake as for cinnamon buns.

To freeze: Let baked goods cool. Wrap or place in large plastic bags freeze the same day.

Edna Ruth Byler, Akron, Pa.

65 years

2011-09-22T15:03:00.000-04:00

There are so many days where it is humbling to work for an organization that is celebrating 65 years of empowering artisans. Every day it is humbling to work with volunteers who are committed to ensuring we are here for another 65!

Ten Thousand villages began with the spark of an idea when Edna Ruth Byler, a Mennonite Central Committee worker, brought several pieces of embroidery home from impoverished women in Puerto Rico. She showed them to friends and neighbours who placed orders for more and the pieces soon became popular. Fair Trade had been born!

The flourishing project eventually moved out of Byler's basement and became known as SELFHELP Crafts. Thousand of loyal customers and volunteers have helped to build this program into the strong alternative trading organization that, in 1996, became Ten Thousand Villages.

We will be celebrating in both Ottawa stores on Saturday, October 1st! Come in to meet our volunteers, learn more about Fair Trade, the amazing artisans we work with today and join in the festivities!

Dressing to Benefit Others

2011-08-20T15:54:00.003-04:00

Are you thinking of going on a shopping spree anytime soon? Why not shop fair trade at the same time. People Tree Foundation, an organization founded in the UK, was started in 1991 as an independent charity focused on making ethical, eco-friendly, fair trade clothing and accessories.

They now work with 50 fair trade groups in 15 countries around the world to create beautiful, wearable clothing and a better way of life. What’s a better way to advertise being fair trade and buying fair trade than to wear fair trade?! Check out their “I love fair trade” t-shirts!
This company features clothing which has been designed by UK and Japanese designers, including a line by actress and model Emma Watson. To ensure the maximum distribution of labour, designers choose techniques of production which will employ as many people as possible. These techniques include hand woven, knit, and embroidered items which enhance the interest of the clothing and add personal flare from the regions in which they are made.

School Kit Program – Help support education!

2011-08-17T09:00:00.012-04:00

Photo from: http://www.mcc.org/

As we get ready to send our kids back off to school, backpacks laden with more than enough new books and pencils, it’s a good time to think about the children around the world who may not have access or the money to get the essentials to get through school. Starting August 18th at our Bank St. location and August 27th at our Richmond Rd. location, we invite you to donate a School Kit for these children.

We are overflowing with cloth bags, made by volunteers from donated materials, ready for you to fill with supplies. MCC will then send the completed kits to children in places such as Iraq, Nicaragua, and North Korea, as well as the poorly funded areas of Canada and the United States.

Here is a list of the supplies needed to complete a School Kit package:
- 4 spiral notebooks or notebooks with perforations (about 21.5cm x 27cm and 70-80 sheets each)

- 4 unsharpened pencils

- 1 ruler (flexible plastic; indicating both 30cm and 12")

- 1 box of coloured pencils (12 or 24)

- 1 large pencil eraser

NOTE: Please only include the above listed items. It is only fair for each child to receive the same things in their kit.

Cash donations are also accepted at both locations. Look for the donations boxes by the cash.
For more information on this kit project or about the variety of work which MCC does, visit the MCC website.

La Siembra Cooperative

2011-07-16T09:00:00.030-04:00

In Ottawa, one of the most well known cooperatives working in Fair Trade is La Siembra, the co-op behind Camino. What started with the Camino chocolate bars has expanded to a variety of Fair Trade food items, including sugar, chocolate chips, coffee and juice.

La Siembra was established in 1999, by three friends with a strong social conscience. Working out of a community kitchen they started developing their line. At the time, there was no process for certifying chocolate to be Fair Trade in Canada. In 2002, La Siembra worked with Transfair Canada (now FairTrade Canada) to develop a process to certify cocoa, chocolate and sugar.

La Siembra is another worker owner cooperative. They define it this way:

"Why is La Siembra a worker co-op? What does this mean?

We have chosen to work as a co-operative to identify with our network of partners, that is co-operatives of family farmers, as it is the same democratic, participatory and transparent model that they follow. The worker co-operative model means that employees are also member-owners of the co-op and participate democratically in the governance of the company. Membership is open and voluntary and requires that workers (a) invest in the co-op financially and (b) participate in its governance."

You can read more about the family farmers that La Siembra works with on their website.

In Ten Thousand Villages across Canada you buy Camino chocolate under the Ten Thousand Villages label, which includes information about both organizations!

Everyone has a favorite Camino product - what is yours?

Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op

2011-07-13T15:13:00.000-04:00

Without a doubt one of the most popular co-ops in our store! While we don't stock their coffee in Ottawa, we have a great selection of their teas and some of their fabulously creamy chocolate. While Just Us! began with coffee, they now supply stores such as Ten Thousand Villages with a great selection of Fair Trade teas from India & Sri Lanka.

Just Us! was started in 1995 and was Canada's first Fair Trade coffee roaster. They are organized as a worker owner cooperative, that imports Fair Trade food, such as coffee, tea and chocolate. Just Us! based in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada's first Fair Trade Town! Truly ahead of their time, this co-op provides much inspiration to those just learning about how the Fair Trade movement and cooperatives go hand in hand.

Wondering where they came up with the name, we found this great explanation on their website:

"“Just Us!” was the first name that came up. It seemed to fit. It was a play on the word “justice” which we liked. It also captured the notion that we were just a small group of people who were going to try, against all odds, to make a difference in the way coffee and other products were produced and traded."

International Day of Cooperatives

2011-07-06T16:23:00.000-04:00

Every July, United Nations recognizes International Day of Cooperatives.

Cooperatives play a big role around here, whether they are based in Canada and provide us with yummy food like chocolate or refreshing drinks like tea, or if they are producers based in countries where our products come from.

The UN website for international days, recognizes the importance of cooperatives and reason for recognizing, and celebrating them:

"The United Nations recognizes and reaffirms the role of cooperatives in economic, social and cultural development and in the achievement of social policy objectives as shown in various resolutions specific to cooperatives and the bi-ennial publication of the Secretary-General’s report on the role of cooperatives in social development."

This month we are going to be taking a closer look at some of the many co-ops we work with. Basing posts on each co-op and what we get and love from them.

Sacred Mark Soaps

2011-06-08T12:28:00.000-04:00

Ginger Neem, Cinnamon Clean & Chai Masala Soap from Sacred Mark

Made in Bangladesh, these small bars of soap will do more than just clean your hands; they will show you the true effort it takes and the results of such effort to become a clean person.

The women of the Sacred Mark organization have changed their lives around, from being involved in the Bangladeshi sex trade to surviving that and choosing to earn a living through making soap instead. These strong women are provided with a safe and respectful working environment.

Each bar of soap is packaged and sealed with the individual finger print of the artisan who created it, making each one unique and important. Sacred Mark is one of the organizations which is headed under a program named “Pobitra”, which was founded by Mennonite Central Committee. It has since been passed on to be run by the Bangladeshi people.

Mostly employing women, this program seeks to help the poor and unemployed inhabitants of Bangladesh, in the hopes of leading them to a better and safer way of living. These women participate in an eight-month-long training session, which not only educated them in soap-making, but also in literacy and peace, human rights, health and hygiene, and mental health. The graduates commit to starting a new stage in their lives, with a different goal and a different means of living. They are seen as being reborn into this new life.

Fair Trade for Breakfast

2011-04-28T20:39:00.003-04:00

Are you one of those people who routinely skips breakfast in the morning? Do you prefer to grab a bite on the go? On May 5th you can do just that as local Fair Trade organizations, including Ten Thousand Villages, come together to offer Ottawans an ethical breakfast…for free!

May 1st through to May 15th is Fair Trade Fortnight. Throughout these two weeks, Canadians from coast to coast are leading a host of activities celebrating fair trade and the benefits it has on communities around the world. One of these initiatives is the World’s Biggest Fair Trade Breakfast, which last year united over 110 000 people across 20 different countries as they sat down to enjoy Fairtrade certified breakfast foods. The idea is to get people chatting about how their everyday habits, like eating breakfast, has a global impact.

2011 is the first time that Fairtrade Canada, along with Bridgehead Coffeehouses, Camino, Engineers Without Borders, Equicosta, and Ten Thousand Villages Ottawa have teamed up in such a way to garner increased awareness and greater participation in Fair Trade initiatives in the Nation’s Capital. The message: Grab a Fair Trade breakfast and see why choosing fair trade is in good taste!

We are thrilled to be a part of this fantastic event! Ten Thousand Villages will be donating chocolate minis to morning commuters during the breakfast. Other fabulous products include coffee, fruit juice, and bananas…all free of charge!

So, on May 5th wake up to Fair Trade and learn the human story behind the products many of us enjoy daily.

The details:

- Thursday May 5th from 7 – 10am

- The corner of Sparks St and Metcalfe St (in front of the Bridgehead coffee house), and

- The corner of Elgin and Lisgar St (in front Knox Presbyterian Church)

A great sale!

2011-04-26T22:09:00.004-04:00

We don't often have sales at Ten Thousand Villages, but there are times we need to clear some items out of the warehouse, make room for new products and make more purchases from artisans. Whenever we have sales, all of our artisans have been fully paid, so the reduction in price does not impact their income.

This is one of those weeks.

All of our bags in store are on sale 30% off. That is every bag!! Not just purses, but coin purses! Not just small bags, but large bags!

There is one small detail that is important to note, the sale is for five days only. Just five days. It is a great chance to get a new look for Spring or Summer, or better yet, to get a Mother's Day gift.

This sale is valid online until May 1st, and in both Ottawa stores until close on Saturday.

Reusing paper - more ways that you think!

2011-04-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

While recycling newspaper into your blue box is a great first step to greater environmental friendliness, why not go a step further and turn that material into something beautiful? With Earth Day just around the corner, we want to take the opportunity to highlight some of the fabulous products and artisan groups that have done just that!

The Women’s Multipurpose Cooperative in the Philippines represents over 200 artisans in Baguio City. Once a thriving copper and silver mining town, Baguio City now has neither the markets nor the materials (i.e. wood) to support the local textiles and handicrafts industry. A creative solution to both these problems is to use old newspapers and a fair trade business model to provide work once again to local artisans.

The recycled coiled paper products available at Ten Thousand Villages include picture frames, hot mats, coasters, and jewelry. The paper is first sorted into piles of like-colours. It is then tightly woven around a broom bristle or umbrella spoke to form mini tubes. The tubes are then coiled, glued and sewn into the desired pattern. A final protective layer of starch is applied to make the product resistant to moisture and high temperatures.

Through this process the artisans at the Women’s Multipurpose Cooperative are providing innovative, environmentally-friendly products. What beautiful things can you make from discarded newspaper? Challenge yourself this Earth Day to come up with a few ideas!

65 Reasons

2011-04-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

As we celebrate our 65th Anniversary this year, we have been playing with the number 65 a lot in the store.

In honour National Volunteer Appreciation Week, here are 65 Reasons we are thankful for our volunteers.

1. We learn from their experience.
2. They dust the shelves.
3. They are enthusiastic about our product.
4. They shop here.
5. They bring their friends in to shop.
6. They make boxes.
7. They count (inventory, that is).
8. They unpack.
9. They sort the packing material for recycling.
10. They bring home paper to recycle.
11. We are exposed to many aspects of Ottawa life through them.
12. They represent us at offsites.
13. They use our environmentally friendly cleaning products.
14. They care about our artisans.
15. They come in to volunteer even when there is a snowstorm.
16. They come in on short notice.
17. They are wonderful people.
18. In Ottawa, they donated 5600 hours to our stores.
19. They challenge us in wonderful ways.
20. They provide support.
21. They are our partners in this adventure!
22. They ask us the tough questions.
23. They laugh with us (not at us!).
24. They advocate for Fair Trade.
25. They answer the phone when we call looking to fill shifts.
26. They are creative.
27. They share their creativity with us.
28. They help us with our computer problems.
29. They eat our baking.
30. They like our baking.
31. They will carry garbage & recycling to the bins!
32. They sweep the floors.
33. They celebrate the successes!
34. They learn with us from the non-successes.
35. They find us opportunities to share the Fair Trade message.
36. They are willing to take on all kinds of odd jobs.
37. They have strong opinions.
38. They share their strong opinions with us!
39. Ten Thousand Villages is only one of the many places they volunteer.
40. They care about the business.
41. They change light bulbs when we are too short.
42. They like high fives (most of the time).
43. They give us honest feedback.
44. They smile.
45. They have creative uses for our products!
46. They offer us rides when needed.
47. They answer questions at presentations.
48. They learn new skills.
49. They teach us new skills!
50. They talk through ideas with us.
51. They always find new ways to help out.
52. They like to try different things.
53. Their enthusiasm is infectious!
54. They tell us about their day.
55. They ask us about our days.
56. They build our Villages community.
57. When travelling they visit other Villages stores.
58. They stop by on “off” days just to check in.
59. They come to our Annual General Meeting.
60. They enjoy visiting and socializing as a group.
61. They apologize profusely when they need to change a shift.
62. They entertain us!
63. They read the stories about our artisans.
64. They help write blog posts.
65. They are great people & we are very thankful for them.

Helping the waterways - one basket at a time!

2011-04-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

At Ten Thousand Villages we don’t need Earth Day to remind us about the importance of the environment. That’s because everyday our products and partner artisan groups remind us of our environmental connections and how fair trade (unlike free trade) doesn’t sacrifice environmental health for the sake of global trade. In fact, the artisan groups that we partner with come up with some pretty clever ideas that make fair trade even more eco-friendly then you may initially think.

For example, the artisan group MAI Handicrafts of Vietnam has developed a brilliant solution that satisfies both local ecological needs and consumer appetites. The water hyacinth is a fast-spreading weed that has devastated the local ecology in South-East Asia. Despite its attractive lavender-coloured flowers, the water hyacinth can double its population every two weeks and produces an abundance of seeds that can survive up to thirty years. When not controlled, the water hyacinth clogs water flows, blocks sunlight from reaching native water plants, and starves the water of oxygen. Luckily for the artisans at MAI Handicrafts, it is also a sturdy, malleable material that makes great baskets. By harvesting the water hyacinth and weaving it around a metal frame before it dries, the members of MAI Handicrafts not only create fabulous baskets, but they do so using an renewable ‘weed’ material, thus helping the local ecology thrive.

If you haven’t already seen these new Hyacinth baskets yet, stop in. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, none more expensive than $25.00! Don’t wait until Earth Day to consider the ecological impacts of your purchases. At Ten Thousand Villages, we think about these impacts each and every day.

National Volunteer Appreciation Week

2011-04-10T13:35:00.000-04:00

Every year non-profit organizations across the country take time to recognize the significant and magnificent contribution of volunteers. We are no different. In Ottawa, we have approximately 100 volunteers (depending on the time of year) that come to our stores and share the message of Fair Trade.

The volunteers work tirelessly in customer service to ensure our artisans are able to earn a living with dignity and with respect.

Each day we are thankful for our volunteers and the amazing contributions they make for Fair Trade.

Thank you.

Everybody Needs a Home

2011-03-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Envision a world where everybody has a safe and decent place to live.

Ten Thousand Villages and Habitat for Humanity Canada believe that having a home is a fundamental human right.

That is why $10 from the purchase of this birdhouse from India will be donated to Habitat for Humanity Canada to help build homes.

The homes built by Habitat provide security and so does your purchase at Ten Thousand Villages. Artisans and producers can plan for the future, secure in the knowledge of reliable income paid in advance, and safe working conditions and equal opportunities for men and women are assured.

Because Fair Trade is trade that people can count on.

You can learn more about the work Habitat for Humanity does in the National Capital Region here.

International Women's Day

2011-02-28T17:32:00.001-05:00

“I am 50 years old. My greatest joy has been seeing my daughters married, and having a job that gives me independence.” Abha Biswas

What a simple thing. Seeing her daughters happy and celebrating the joy in having a job that has given her independence.

The ability of women to earn a living with dignity, respect and earn their own incomes is one of the primary reasons we always recognize International Women’s Day(IWD) on March 8th in our stores. This year it is even more poignant as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday.

The International Women’s Day website explains the origin of IWD is as follows:
“International Women’s Day started when Suffragettes campaigned for women's right to vote. The word 'Suffragette' is derived from the word "suffrage" meaning the right to vote. International Women's Day honours the work of the Suffragettes, celebrates women's success, and reminds of inequities still to be redressed. The first International Women's Day event was run in 1911.”

The UN theme for this year is “Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women”. How much more appropriate could that be for a Fair Trade organization that has over 70% of our producers as women?

The female artisans who make the Fair Trade items for our stores are working on building a better future for themselves and their families. The inspiration story of Shova Baroi is one example.

Shova’s work is allowing her to live a life with dignity and have a job that provides her with opportunities.

Some of the other inspirational women we are proud to say we work with and work to tell their stories and sell their handicrafts include these groups: St. Mary’s, CORR- The Jute Works, Jabulani Jewellery, and Gone Rural.

World Day of Social Justice

2011-02-23T10:56:00.002-05:00

Last weekend on February 20, it was the World Day for Social Justice as established by the UN in 2007. Fair trade is a big part of global social justice which is why we at Ten Thousand Villages Ottawa want to highlight this day.

A critical component to having a more socially just global community is the concept of equality. Greater access to resources for marginalized populations and opportunities for all members to participate in society are just some contributing factors to greater equality. Socially just societies are those that demonstrate respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . The UN uses the phrase “Society for All” when talking about social justice. A healthy society is one that involves persons, no matter their background or ability.

At Ten Thousand Villages, every day is a day for global social justice. However, on the World Day for Social Justice we are reminded of why we do the work that we do. Fair wages, fair working conditions, skills training, access to opportunities for marginalized groups, sustainable environmental practices, guarantees against child labour are all components of the products and principles behind the artisan groups we work with. By supporting the work that a not-for-profit like Ten Thousand Villages does, regardless of whether it’s a UN declared day for social justice or any other day of the year, is an easy way to support a more equitable world.

The UN describes today as follows: “The observance of the day should contribute to the further consolidation of the efforts of the international community in poverty eradication, promotion of full employment and decent work, gender equity and access to social well-being and justice for all.”

So perhaps this is an opportunity to ask yourself, “How am I contributing to a more socially just world?” Am I ordering fair trade coffee for my workplace? Do my kids play with a fair trade soccer ball, thus ensuring that it wasn’t made by children of the same age? Have I told my newly engaged friends that they can establish a fair trade wedding gift registry? Supporting Ten Thousand Villages and other not-for-profits that work for a more equitable world is one way of creating “Society for All.”

What are some others?

A Great Chocolate Documentary

2011-02-17T10:01:00.006-05:00

This past weekend the Passionate Eye showed : "Chocolate: The Bitter Truth" a documentary from the BBC.

It outlined the reality of child labour in the cocoa industry and also looked at the alternative: Fair Trade. One of the aspects that our volunteers who have watched it noted the most, is that while the Fair Trade system is not perfect it is a system. When there is an infraction or challenge, every bag of cocoa can be traced back to the specific farm and the corrective actions can be taken. That is so vital in operating a healthy system, that responds to the vision and goals outlined.

The Fair Trade co-operative they visited was Kuapa Kokoo. They are part owners of Divine Chocolate which is sold in Ten Thousand Villages stores across Canada.

Show your Love

2011-02-10T09:46:00.007-05:00

This year, show your love has no borders for Valentine's Day. Giving a Fair Trade gift shows your commitment to equity and fairness around the world.

Did you know your Fair Trade gift could include Fair Trade certified flowers? Giving Fair Trade flowers ensure the workers are in safe working conditions.

Fair Trade wine is another great choice! A Fair Trade red is regularly found in the LCBO here in Ottawa. Just look for the logo!

You can even make your sweetheart a Fair Trade meal including rice, olive oil, spices, chutneys and of course chocolate. Decadent cocoa brownies would make a great finish to the day (or start to the day!)

What it really comes down to for us, is that we all think about the our impact gift giving has. The people receiving the gift love the thought and attention that went into it. The person making the gift would love that to.

Fair Trade Fashion

2011-01-28T11:35:00.002-05:00

Thanks to our volunteer Susan for this great contribution to the blog! You can also check out the People Tree fashions here.

Emma Watson puts the spotlight on Fair Trade in Bangladesh

What do Ten Thousand Villages and the wizard world of Harry Potter have in common? Hint: Emma Watson. The twenty-year-old celebrity is promoting fair trade fashion for teens, which she has designed for People Tree, a fair trade employer of women in Bangladesh.

The importance of Fair Trade fashion People Tree Magazine

In this video clip re-posted by TransFair Canada, Emma talks about the striking difference between women who work in clothing factories and live in poverty in the slums of the capital, Dhaka, and the women who make fair trade fashions for People Tree in the Thanapara Swallows village women’s project, near the Ganges River in northwest Bangladesh. She stresses that a fair wage is critical to getting out of poverty and urges us to choose fairly traded products. “If you see something fair trade, buy it”, she says. “It just makes sense”.

When you shop at Ten Thousand Villages, you are helping to provide vital income and fair wages to artisans so they can support their families. In Bangladesh, nearly half the population lives below the poverty line, particularly rural women who are the sole supporters of their households. We make consistent purchases from 13 artisan groups in Bangladesh that employ thousands people who would otherwise have no income. Their crafts include grass and bamboo baskets, jewelry, jute bags, cotton tablecloths made with natural dyes, and handmade paper journals. In addition to providing vital income, fair trade through our artisan groups gives women literacy skills and access to health care, sanitation and loans. There are also environmental benefits. For example, paper made from water hyacinth pulp in the Agailjhara district of southern Bangladesh helps stop this invasive plant from clogging waterways and ponds.

So, stop by one of our stores, or shop online and have a look at our Products from Bangladesh. You don’t have to be a celebrity – or a wizard – to know that when you choose fair trade you contribute to positive change in the world!

A Wedding Alternative

2011-01-21T11:50:00.008-05:00

In just a few weeks on February 6th, we will be attending the second annual Wed by Hand bridal show. This year there will be over 30 vendors, workshops, raffles, giveaways and even a DJ! The focus is on handmade and unique options for a wedding.

We are thrilled for this unique opportunity to share a great alternative for brides and grooms, a Fair Trade gift registry. All of our items in store, are handmade by artisans from around the world. Registries can be set up in-store or online (the largest selection being in-store).

Whether you are looing for furniture, home accessories or beautiful pieces for your wall, we offer a Fair Trade option for you.

For more information on Fair Trade registries, come see us at Wed by Hand or call the store.

Haiti

2011-01-13T09:24:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, on the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti we received a very uplifting email. It came through the purchasing department at our head office that coordinates and works directly with each artisan group.

They received an email from the coordinator of Comité Artisanal Haïtien (CAH). We wrote about CAH last year, right after the earthquake. They are an amazing and diverse group of artisans. CAH is a non-profit marketing co-operative that represents approximately 800 artisans, working in around 170 workshops.

Founded in 1972, they export items from family businesses, individual artisans, and co-operative groups. They offer free programs to their members, where literacy, basic accounting, product costing and business management are taught.

Here is the update:

"Most of the artisans have re-build their houses or found other places to rent and live.

As for the artisans, they are all ready and though some stone mines were destroyed by the earthquake, the clean-up has been done and the artisans have all the stone they need and are very ready to produce.

That is the best therapy they have to keep their mind focus on other things than the memory of that sad day.

We are in the process of establishing a new "Design Center" in order to help the artisans create new products and product lines to present to partner-clients. That is the best way to ensure regular orders and keep most of them working and generating income to provide for themselves and their families."

Ten Thousand Villages is thrilled to continue to support CAH by purchasing their products and providing their artisans with meaningful work. Every purchase made supports them in their rebuilding efforts, and as they work towards a new design centre.

For more information about CAH and the products we receive from them, ask one of our volunteers in store.

A Boxing Week "Special"

2010-12-23T10:23:00.003-05:00

Ten Thousand Villages is a delightfully international place showcasing artisan products from all over the world. However, this Boxing Week, Ten Thousand Villages Ottawa is shifting the focus locally and instead of putting products on sale we’re giving 10% of all the sales to Bruce House.

Bruce House was established in 1988 as a community-based organization providing housing, compassionate care and support in Ottawa for people living with HIV and AIDS. Bruce House provides services that are unavailable through any other agency in Eastern Ontario. The two primary programs provided by Bruce House are the Supportive Independent Living Program, which provides 34 rent-geared-to-income housing units and apartments for persons with HIV/AIDS, and the 24 hour Care and Support Transition Housing, which is a seven-bed residence with 24 hour personal care.

Bruce House also provides support such as counselling, coaching, and family support as required. For example, services include (but are not limited to):

• Life skills coaching, which includes daily coping skills, social skills, and skills related to activities of daily living;
• Advocacy and case management;
• Linkages with desired services and resources (e.g., medical care, other health services, legal services, etc.);
• HIV/AIDS prevention and education;
• Family support and coping with grief and loss;
• Palliative care; and
• Community-based research examining housing and health needs

We at Ten Thousand Villages Ottawa share in the Bruce House philosophy that everyone has the right to live and die with dignity.

The local connection with Ten Thousand Villages Ottawa and Bruce House lies in our volunteers, literally. Bruce House was created with the dedication and energy of a long-time Ten Thousand Villages volunteer, who worked with others to get Bruce House started.

Additionally, many of our artisans are personally affected by HIV/AIDS.

Supporting Bruce House helps us make the global connection a little more local.

A Purse to Remember

2010-12-05T22:34:00.004-05:00

Another successful series of church sales has come and gone this past November at the Ottawa Mennonite Church on Kilborn Avenue. Perhaps one of the most compelling stories shared with shoppers at the church sale this year was the story of the Embroidered Cotton Purse from Indonesia.

This embroidered purse is a product of Pekerti’s Bungong Rauza – meaning ‘flower’ – workshop in Aceh province, Indonesia, where refugees from the 2004 tsunami have been rebuilding their lives and communities through the creation of these purses.

The ornate designs and intricate patterns are representative of the significant cultural and historical influences that have shaped the embroidery traditions in Aceh. The motif on this purse represents the gates of heaven.

Pekerti Nusantara was established in 1978 as the nonprofit export arm of the Pekerti Foundation, an Indonesian social development agency. With the mechanization of farming, and loss of land due to inheritance procedures, many agricultural workers were forced to migrate to the cities looking for work. To counter this trend Pekerti sought to supplement the income of subsistence farmers and rural people through the development and sale of traditional crafts.

This embroidered purse was even featured on the Oprah Winfrey show last Christmas as one of Malia Compton-Rock's favourite things (Malia Compton-Rock is the wife of actor/comedian Chris Rock).

Although the sale of these purses was extremely successful at this year’s church sale, we still have some in stock for the holiday season. If you’re buying it as a gift, be sure to tell its story to the lucky recipient – the survivors of the 2004 tsunami will thank you!

The Grannies are Coming!

2010-12-03T15:38:00.002-05:00

Throughout the year Ten Thousand Villages hosts various non-profit groups in the store for Charity shopping events.

On Thursday, December 9th from 5-9pm we are thrilled welcome back the Grammas to Ambuyas which is one of 240 granny groups in Canada supporting the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign seeks to raise awareness and mobilize support in Canada for Africa’s grandmothers. The campaign was launched by the Stephen Lewis Foundation on March 7, 2006, on the eve of International Women's Day.

Since the launch, more than 240 groups of Canadian grandmothers have taken up the call to action and the campaign has raised over $10 million. SLF directs these funds to community-level organizations in 15 sub-Saharan African countries that provide grandmothers with much needed support, such as food, housing grants, school fees for their grandchildren and grief counselling.

For the second year this Granny Group will be hosting a shopping night in both Ottawa locations. 10% of all purchases (pre-tax) will be donated to their efforts to support grandmothers overseas. We love to make connections with groups like this as it allows us to deal with issues that our artisans face, and do it in solidarity.

On December 9th your purchase will not only support our artisans in earning a living with dignity and respect, but will also support the Grammas to Ambuyas in their efforts to make a positive impact in live in grammas in Africa who raising their grandchildren.

Images from the Sale

2010-11-25T10:18:00.006-05:00

This weekend will be the final one for the 2010 Festival Sale at the Ottawa Mennonite Church. The sale is open Friday from 3-8pm and Saturday from 10-4pm, and is located at 1830 Kilborn Ave.
A sampling of images from the past weekend:

A Day at the Sale

2010-11-14T17:57:00.004-05:00

This past weekend was the first for the Annual Festival Sale at the Ottawa Mennonite Church. For over thirty years volunteers have run this sale with dedication and passion for the artisans. Here is one's observations from Saturday:

Shoppers at the Ten Thousand Villages Festival Sale today at the Ottawa Mennonite Church stepped into a world of variety in colour, designs and smells.

First there is the food, all fairly traded – coffees, teas, hot chocolate, chocolate bars, spices, jams and chutneys – all in many varieties. It is handy to both cash registers.

On the main floor, our shoppers find beautifully-crafted small pieces of furniture, hammocks and garden items, including pots/planters for inside and out. By the outdoors section, they can pick up bath supplies – soaps and lotions with wonderful scents.

There is a special Haitian display with rocks that have been smoothed into heart shapes; nativity scenes and wall sculptures made from recycled metal; and whimsical little carved-stone figures in a variety of poses. Above the display, a poster tells us these are fairly traded product from the Comité Artisanal Haitien, a non-profit organization providing essential market access for Haitian artisans. When you consider the hardships in Haiti from earthquakes, storms and now cholera, you realize how important it is for these artisans to be able to sell their products to support themselves and their families.

At the Living Gift Desk, a volunteer is explaining to a mother and her son that a gift can be purchased in honour of a friend or family member, which will provide benefits to improve the lives of people in deprived conditions. For example, a friend might receive a greeting card, a small ornament and a card describing the gift of health (medicines). Other gifts include the gift of education, or care, or empowerment. The boy is initially bored, then catches on that kids his age in Africa need school supplies or a mother can feed her family with fish in her own pond. The mother is really pleased that her son has had a learning experience about compassion for others.

Downstairs, some kids are having a great time with some musical instruments, or appealing to parents to buy them some colourful puzzles. This is the floor for toys and music, keeping the sound of drums away from most shoppers.

On the third level, our shoppers find that displays have changed from previous years. There is a greater emphasis on colour so that on the immediate left there is whole section of blue items for the home, and on the centre wall straight ahead there is section of autumn colours. The scarves, jewellery and bags are also arranged by colour so that our shoppers can find a necklace, earrings and a scarf that go together within reach of one another. Opposite the accessories wall is the Christmas wall with a range of ornaments, garlands and table decorations. Christmas trees are decorated in colour themes. In the centre are nativity sets, often portraying the countries from which they come – Peruvian designs are particularly appealing. There are also beautiful carvings using olive wood from the West Bank.

Other home displays include carved wooden boxes and game set; onyx carved into candle holders, animal shapes and containers; Asian-styled platters, bowls, cups and tea pots; linens including table cloths, napkins, pillow cases, placemats and small rugs; paper products including greeting cards, notebooks and picture frames.

The list can go on and on, representing exotic products from many countries in lands far away, but our shoppers need to take a break. Fortunately, there is just the place to do that in the Tea Room which has become famous for its borscht served with bread, and for the delicious cakes and squares. Fair Trade Tea and coffee are served, of course.

Refreshed, our shoppers are now ready to stand in line at the cash registers (at both ends of the foyer). This is made as painless as possible by allowing the use of credit and debit cards in addition to cash. While carrying home treasures for ourselves and our gift list, there is additional joy in knowing that we are contributing to men and women whose work on these items may be the only source of support for their families.

Annual Festival Sale

2010-11-13T13:01:00.002-05:00

Each year the Ottawa Mennonite Church hosts a Ten Thousand Villages Festival Sale in November.

For over thirty years they have been providing Ottawa with Fairly Traded handicrafts, and led the way for our two stores to open.

We loved the way Ottawa Magazine described it in their Weekender:

"The pioneers of fair trade host their annual Festival Sale this weekend at the Ottawa Mennonite Church, so if you’re looking for ethical Christmas gifts, this event is a must. (Heck — if you enjoy quality food, natural fibres, and original tree ornaments it’s a good sale to check out.)

In addition to pottery, foodstuffs, baskets, jewellery, and blankets, there are also “living gifts” available for purchase. Prices range from $25 (to supply literacy materials to a woman in Bangladesh) to $300 to fill a barnyard with animals and help a family become self-reliant. And don’t miss borscht in the tearoom (open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Nov.12-13, 19-20, 26-27. Ottawa Mennonite Church, 1830 Kilborn Ave. www.alternativetrade.ca."

The Gift that keeps on giving…

2010-11-04T10:09:00.004-04:00

What do you buy for the person who has everything? While surely another pair of wool socks is appreciated, this holiday season consider giving a living gift from Ten Thousand Villages. Living Gifts are charitable donations to specific projects organized through the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). This year the Living Gift campaign runs for longer than it has in years past; from November 6 until December 31the following Living Gifts will be available at all Canadian Ten Thousand Villages locations:

Give Care
$20 gives women in rural India 250 fingerlings – young fish – in order to establish a fisheries industry and livelihoods based on aquaculture. While waiting for the fish to grow, the pond water is used to grow vegetables to create additional income.

Give Empowerment
$25 supplies literacy and learning materials for women in Bangladesh who participate in the Sacred Mark program which teaches new job skills to former sex workers. These women have often been subjected to violence and social stigmas, which makes it difficult for them to financially support their families. Through an eight month program, these women receive handicraft training, literacy skills, health care support, and a peaceful environment.

Give Health
$28 enables people to purchase their daily medications from a hospital pharmacy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through the organization Menno-Sante. Working in Mukedi, Kajiji, Kikwit, and Western Kasai province of the DRC, Menno-Sante pays staff salaries, thus minimizing the emigration of skilled health-care workers, buys and transports medications, and works to build the local capacity.

Give Education
$35 provides one student with a school uniform and shoes so that they may attend school. Even though primary school is free in places like Tanzania, it can be difficult for families, and especially children who are orphaned, to pay for the necessary school supplies. Working through the MCC program Global Family a donation of $35 equips students for success.

Give Education
$300 sponsors a Global Family community-based education for youth and young adults for one year. A community-based approach to education means that local knowledge and expertise are utilized to strengthen a community rather than foreign development workers. This model of education also lends greater credibility and visibility to small, local, partner organizations in host countries. Read more about MCC’s Global Family program

Give Care
$350 helps fill a “barnyard” with animals and assists families to develop viable livelihoods using flocks and herds. Livestock provides meat, milk and eggs to supplement a family's diet and income. From teaching small animal management in Palestine and Kenya to introducing new ideas to raise goats in Bangladesh, MCC works with families to support the healthy raising of fish, goats and other animals.

Don’t forget that there are once again handmade cards and ornaments to accompany your Living Gifts this year. Cards are limited to one-per-Living Gift. As in other years, all Living Gifts are completely tax deductible; tax receipts will be issued in the New Year.

This winter season rather than giving ‘stuff,’ give something that truly makes a difference in someone’s life. Living Gifts are available in store and online starting November 6 and are likely to be more appreciated than another pair of woolly socks!

Kids & Fair Trade

2010-11-03T11:21:00.004-04:00

The lovely folks at Kids in the Capital invited us to write a guest blog post on how to talk your kids about Fair Trade and it went up today!

We wanted to break it down and give parents some talking points about Fair Trade that they could adapt to their kids and knowledge levels.

Frequently, we are invited out to speak with schools and community groups about Fair Trade. A large part of why we are here isn't just to sell the artisans products, but to encourage more people to learn about Fair Trade and the impact it has on our artisans lives.

Olive Harvest Time

2010-10-29T10:40:00.001-04:00

It’s harvest time once again. This year, celebrate the olive harvest with a bottle of Zatoun fair trade extra virgin olive oil from Palestine. The word “Zatoun” is Arabic and translates as ‘olive’. Not only do you get a great product, but here’s what you’re contributing to with every purchase:

Project Hope is a non-profit organization that provides children and youth with education, recreation, practical skills training, and humanitarian aid to young people in Palestine. One dollar of every bottle of Zatoun sold goes directly to Project Hope. While this may not sound like much, consider this: over 10,000 bottles of Zatoun olive oil have already been sold through Ten Thousand Village stores alone.

A portion of the Zatoun sales go to the program “Trees For Life: Planting Peace in Palestine” which provides farmers with subsidized olive saplings (trees that are 3 years old) in time for planting season in January and February each year. This program is founded on the belief that there must be viable economic means for Palestinians to earn a livelihood in order for peace to exist.

Zatoun`s founder, Robert Massoud, was awarded the 2004 YMCA Peace Medallion for Greater Toronto. What`s even more amazing is that he was nominated by Yosher (a Jewish activist group in Toronto).

“The olive is the universal symbol of peace, forgiveness and understanding. The focus on something as basic and unthreatening as olives opens a door for North Americans to experience another people’s humble but precarious life.”

Consider a bottle of fair trade Zatoun olive oil for a host/hostess gift as a tasty and socially-conscience alternative to wine, and celebrate the olive harvest.

How sweet it is…

2010-10-27T10:19:00.005-04:00

With Hallowe’en just around the corner, you may have noticed the abundance of chocolate and other sweets now available. But have you ever stopped to wonder what’s behind all that chocolate production? And I mean real chocolate, the kind that melts in your mouth and leaves you satisfied with the quality, not the quantity; the kind that doesn’t taste waxy and doesn't have fillers; the kind that is sustainably harvested without using child-labour. Of course, I’m talking about Fair Trade chocolate.

At Ten Thousand Villages we carry both the Divine and Cocoa Camino fair trade chocolates. Here are some of the behind-the-scenes stories to consider this Hallowe’en:

- Over 14 million people globally are directly involved in cocoa production.

- It takes one tree’s entire annual crop to produce only 4 chocolate bars (or one tin of baking cocoa)!!

- The cooperative of cocoa farmers behind Divine’s chocolate is called Kuapa Kokoo of Ghana. Not only do these farmers receive a fair wage for the cocoa they grow, but they are also 45% shareholders in Divine, based in the UK.

- “Camino” in Spanish means “path”. Through their fair-trade, organic chocolate Cocoa Camino is leading ethically-minded consumers down a path on what they term a ‘food revolution.’

- The chocolate market is worth over 4 billion pounds in the UK alone. Divine’s success in breaking into this market has been its high-quality cocoa and ethical business model.

- The fair trade cocoa used in Cocoa Camino’s products is sourced from cooperatives in the Dominican Republic and Peru, while the fair trade sugar comes from Paraguay and Costa Rica.

Many people come into our stores looking for Fair Trade options for Hallowe'en. We often encourage people to purchase the mini chocolates from Cocoa Camino. They are 35c (plus taxes) and are great way to introduce Fair Trade. Others have purchased the Dubble Bars produced by Divine ($1.25 plus taxes).

Also, in time for the holiday season we now have on hand the much-anticipated boxes of Divine After-Dinner Mints. These are special for the upcoming holiday season, so don’t miss out.

Ethical consumption tastes so sweet!

Spice up your Life!

2010-10-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

Ask a good cook, be they a famous person or a friend, and they’ll tell you that the secret to any amazing dish is in the spices! Certified organic AND Fair Trade, the EQUITA spices are a great addition to any recipe.

Spices by EQUITA are the result of a sustainable partnership with SOFA – the Small Organic Farmer’s Association based in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This cooperative with 350 families uses integrated agriculture to benefit both the spices and the local tea producers. For example, cinnamon is a natural insect repellent for the pests that destroy tea bushes, so planting cinnamon and tea together makes good, organic sense!

Also available at Ten Thousand Villages is Za’atar (wild thyme) produced by Zatoun and prepared by women’s cooperatives in Palestine. Za’atar (also found as Za’tar, zaatar, or zahtar) is rarely sold on its own. Instead it’s a delicious combination of thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, and sea salt. While the thyme contributes to the scent, the sumac creates a subtle lemon flavour. Za’atar is commonly served mixed with olive oil and baked on flatbread for 3-4 minutes.

So the next time you’re preparing a tasty dish, think carefully about the spices that go into it. There’s more than just flavour behind fair trade spices!

Jam, Chutneys & Sauces

2010-10-15T15:51:00.002-04:00

They’re back!

The much-loved jams, chutneys and sauces from Swaziland are back in both Ottawa Ten Thousand Village locations. These products, by the group Eswatini Kitchen, are made with 100% natural ingredients which are purchased according to fair-trade principles from over 400 local farmers and growers in Swaziland.

Eswatini Kitchen was established 19 years ago by a catholic priest and an Anglican nun in order to support the Manzini Youth Care’s (MYC) social programs. The MYC focuses its programming towards marginalized and at-risk youth, providing them with organized sports and recreation, a fast-track primary school option (free of charge), skills training centers and self-employment opportunities. Manzini Youth Care helps prevent children from ending up on the streets.

So the next time you’re in the neighbourhood, consider stopping in and picking up some delicious Swazi-sauces and chutneys – in doing so you’re contributing to a worthy cause and enjoying a delicious product! Consider these mouth-watering serving suggestions:

· Spread Swazi-Kitchen Hot Mango Chutney on a wheel of brie and bake in oven for 15 minutes. Serve with crackers or bread

· Use the Curry or Chili sauces as chip dips at your next party

· Serve the Medium Curry Sauce with shrimp and vegetables over rice

· Use the chutneys or jams as glazes over ham or other meats

Tea Time

2010-10-12T13:00:00.000-04:00

The fair trade teas at Ten Thousand Villages are supplied by Just Us. They make an excellent alternative to coffee consumption owing to less caffeine (only 1/3 as much caffeine as a cola or coffee) and assorted health benefits (like antioxidants and flavanoids). Proper tea storage is critical as tea is ‘hydroscopic’ meaning that it easily picks up moisture and smells from its surroundings.

The organic, fair trade teas supplied by Just Us come from Sri Lanka, India, South Africa, and Ecuador. One cooperative group that supplies the Just Us Darjeeling, Chai and Earl Grey teas is the Tea Promoters India (TPI). This group involves over 4,000 workers from across the Indian sub-continent. What makes this cooperative unique is the commitment to biodynamic tea cultivation (Demeter certified) which is a very labour- and expertise-intensive practice but one which prioritizes soil and environmental health over maximum yields.

Tea cultivation involves more than just economics and agronomy; social and political conditions have historically affected tea production in places like India over the past 150 years. Through groups like TPI, tea farming is once again a viable and sustainable livelihood for thousands of tea garden workers and small-scale farmers.

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Did you know? Caffeine is water soluble. This means that if you would like to decaffeinate your own tea, simply steep the tea in boiling water for 20-30 seconds, pour out the water and pour fresh boiled water over the rinsed leaves. Voila!

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Need a good tea recipe? We have some favorites from The New Tea Book!

Fair Trade Brownies

2010-10-09T13:14:00.003-04:00

Today, we are celebrating Cornucopia in Westboro. This great event helps us celebrate the bounty of the season and give thanks to our Fair Trade supporter!

A number of people have been asking for the great Fair Trade brownies we have on sample. Here is the recipe:

Ten Thousand Villages Cocoa Brownies
• Soft butter, for greasing the pan
• Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup white sugar (Fair Trade Golden Cane Sugar by Cocoa Camino), sifted
• 1 cup brown sugar (Fair Trade Panela Sugar by Level Ground), sifted
• 8 ounces melted butter
• 1 1/4 cups Ten Thousand Villages Cocoa Camino Cocoa Powder, sifted (1/2 can)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

Fair Trade Coffee

2010-10-07T15:00:00.002-04:00

Coffee is one of the most well-known fair trade products available. Did you know that coffee is most flavourful when beans are ground immediately before brewing and when coffee beans are consumed within 4 to 5 months of purchase? This is because coffee beans retain their natural flavors and oils longer than ground coffee.

One of the most unique coffees currently available at Ten Thousand villages is Level Ground’s Tanzanian roast. Coffee from this region was initially planted to fight soil erosion but has since become an important source of income for many small-scale farmers. Coffee farmers in the Illeje district near Tukuyu typically farm only 2-3 acres of land and intercrop their coffee plants with other food crops such as bananas and cassava. Washing and processing the coffee nearby before export provides additional employment in the region. Level Ground even has some great video from a recent trip.

This Canadian Fair Trader believes in sustainability, which takes many forms. Watch Stacey Toews talk about what sustainability means to them.

Level Ground Trading is the for-profit organization based in Saanich, BC that liaises with the coffee farmers of Tanzania. Daily and weekly cupping sessions are held at their coffee lab in BC in order to ensure single-origin coffee quality. Level Ground is also responsible for the dried fruits and panela sugar-cane products found in store.

Remember: bringing in your empty coffee packaging to the nearest Ten Thousand Villages store earns you $0.10 off your next purchase and ensures that packaging is properly recycled.

Giving thanks

2010-10-06T15:50:00.004-04:00

As Thanksgiving sneaks up on us again this weekend, it is a good time to reflect on what we can give thanks for.

So many people give thanks for the farmers who have grown the food for the meals they enjoy. We give thanks for our farmer producers daily. Fair Trade food is quickly growing in scale and is much more than just coffee. The rice on your table, spices in your pumpkin pie and the sugar in your coffee are all grown by someone. This is who we give thanks for.

We want to take some time to focus on our Fair Trade food and some of the people who grow it. From coffee to spices to nuts to tea. Part of our mission is to tell the stories of our producers and encourage more people to learn about Fair Trade.

Inspiration

2010-08-27T14:37:00.006-04:00

Many afternoons you can come by one of our two stores in Ottawa and find the volunteer perusing one of our many cookbooks, looking for that dinner inspiration.

Our cookbooks often provide more than just the recipe for inspiration, but an awareness of the food and the people who produce it. Sometimes this awareness pops up in the list of ingredients specifically calling for a Fair Trade ingredient. Other times it is more direct in the example of Simply In Season. A popular cookbook from Herald Press, it breaks down recipes by season, to ensure you eat what is local, what is fresh and what is in season. Filling the bottom sections of the pages, under the recipes are quotes, thoughts, and things to contemplate relating to food, sustainability, and equality.

A number of these items keep pulling me back for the attention. Some are great for sharing while others for personal reflection. Here is one that relates to Fair Trade:

"The bitter truth about chocolate

Like coffee, most cocoa beans are grown on small farms, mostly in West Africa, by people with little bargaining power. They earn a pittance for their harvest, about 1 penny for an average 60-cent candy bar.

One result is that poor families are often forced to employ their children rather than sending them to school. In 2002, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture found that 284,000 West African children on cocoa farms performed hazardous tasks such as using machetes and applying pesticides without adequate protection.

Worse, thousands of children are sent to work far from their families, where they are vulnerable to exploitation. UNICEF and the International Labor Organization have reported trafficking in child slaves is widespread in West Africa.

Fair Trade organizations like Global Exchange prohibit abusive child labor, provide cocoa farmers with significantly higher earnings, and encourage sustainable growing methods." Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Simply in Season

Like Global Exchange, Ten Thousand Villages works with producers to ensure they are working in safe conditions and no child labor is utilized. Our partners, La Siembra and Divine Chocolate produce wonderful Fair Trade chocolates while ensuring that children can grow up, go to school and their parents can farm safely, while earning a living with dignity and respect.

You can meet some of Divine's cocoa farmers here.

This is another theme running throughout Simply in Season. Do you know your farmer? Do you know the person who grows your food?

Consider this from Jon & Beth Weaver-Krieder of Goldfinch Farm Organic CSA in York, Pa.

"A crop of healthy children

For us as CSA farmers, having direct contact with our customers is incredibly meaningful and rewarding. We learn to know many of their favorite vegetables and often have specific people in mind when we are planting or tending a crop.

It's been a pleasant surprise to find that many people, especially those with young children, will spend hours on the farm when they come to pick up their produce. They'll sit in the shade and talk while munching on carrots, swing on the rope swing and pick basil until their fingers are pungent.

From year to year we get to see the children of our returning customers grow up and we have a sense of privilege in knowing that our vegetables are helping their bodies grown strong and healthy. This feeling is especially keen as we watch expectant mothers select their vegetables and know that we are contributing to the health of their growing babies."

For me, this captures the inspiration found in expected places

Back to School BOGO – Buy one, give one!

2010-08-13T16:12:00.003-04:00

Cooler August days and nights bring flyer specials for back to school. This year when you buy your child’s school supplies, consider a BOGO special – buy one set for your child; give one set to a child who wouldn’t be able to go to school without your help.

Drop by our Bank St. or Richmond Rd stores to pick up a hand-sewn bag and a shopping list: four notebooks, four unsharpened pencils, a ruler, a large eraser and a package of 12 coloured pencils (check our home page for more specific details).

We will send your gift of school supplies to a child in a developing country through the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) partner agencies in schools and orphanages in Haiti, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Sudan and other developing countries struggling with war, disaster or poverty.

Each bag should have the same contents, so please keep your generosity to the items on our shopping list.

Join us in our 15th year of supporting education and buy a few extra school supplies this year, or make a donation through the MCC.

To see the impact these donations make, take some time to check out this video.

Girl About O Town

2010-08-07T10:15:00.000-04:00

Have you checked out the fabulous Girl About O Town? She has a keen eye and diverse interests.

She recently set her perfect summer table, and did it Fair Trade style!

What a great way to spend a summer day.

The stores here in Ottawa greatly appreciate her support, and desire to show the hip side of Fair Trade!

Fair Trade on Cityline

2010-08-05T15:57:00.001-04:00

We are fortunate that Cityline featured a number of Fair Trade items on the show. As a non-profit organization we are continually challenged across the country to share the stories of our artisans and the amazing products they make by hand.

Be sure to check out the video clip.

Paint Canada Pink!

2010-07-17T13:05:00.003-04:00

Help us Paint Canada Pink!

On Thursday, July 22nd we will be supporting the Capital Chordettes as they begin their fundaising for the Run for the Cure!

10% of your Fair Trade purchase on July 22nd will go their team.

Iced Coffee

2010-07-15T10:33:00.002-04:00

Looking for ways to stay cool this summer?

Why not try this great Iced Coffee recipe from our roaster, Level Ground Trading!

Level Ground roasts all of the Ten Thousand Villages branded coffee. It is a great Canadian company dedicated to improving the lives of farmers.

Heat waves

2010-07-08T10:57:00.004-04:00

Without a doubt Ottawa has been limping through a heat wave. In fact, most of Ontario has.

However, there have not been many news stories about mass numbers of people being admitted to the hospital, or individuals dying from the heat. As I sit in a lovely air conditioned store and welcome customers off the street and into the cool air, it makes me realize how differently people cope with heat.

In May, the Ten Thousand Villages stores received an update from one of our artisan groups in India, St Mary's. We have blogged about these amazing women before and their truly unique embroidery work.

Sister Lucia was writing to apologize for delays in shipments due to the extreme heat the region was suffering.

"This is not flimsy excuse, but both our Centre and Ahmedabad looks like a cemetery due to the 4 series of serious heat waves that have hit us here in Gujarat, particularly Ahmedabad, we are close to the desert in Rajasthan. We have had sustained and steady temperatures of 45 degrees C. A lot of our women or their children have been admitted to hospitals and clinics due to the heat strokes, including our nursing home!

Ahmedabad so far has had 41 deaths due to the heat and people are running off to the South of Ahmedabad were it is cooler."

So while we bear it out in heat in Ottawa with air conditioning, splash pads, wadding pools and cold, clean water, we are reminding of the impact the heat has on our artisans.

World Fair Trade Day - 2010

2010-05-12T10:22:00.006-04:00

Both Ottawa stores had a fabulous World Fair Trade Day celebration on Saturday, May 8th!

We encouraged everyone to think about how to integrate Fair Trade into their daily lives and Fair Trade their homes. A tip jar was available with tips waiting to be pulled out by customers to learn more about Fair Trade in their home.

We had a fabulous prize draw with the grand prize a copy of Eric St-Pierre's fabulous new book, Fair Trade A Human Journey. Second prize was a Mother's Day theme gift bag.

Shameena was on hand to celebrate the diversity of our artisans, volunteers and customers while offering henna mehndi. We look forward to her joining us again for WESTFEST next month.

April New Items

2010-05-03T09:45:00.000-04:00

Ten Thousand Villages in Ottawa continues to bring in new fair trade items every month. Late in April the collections included new ceramics, linens and windchimes, along with some lovely home decor items and a new twist on an old favourite.

Expanding our range of dishwasher and microwave-safe ceramics from Vietnam, we have a selection of items with this fresh floral pattern:

Any parent or grandparent will find it hard to resist this child's tea-set modelled on our popular lotus collection.

From India we have a number of new tablecloth patterns:

And we have windchimes from Peru and the Philippines:

We love this pair of intriguing wall-hangings from Indonesia and Laos:

And any of our smaller planters would look great resting on this new bamboo plant stand, also from Indonesia:

And the new twist on an old favourite ... the hand-painted and lacquered dragonfly rocks from Vietnam are now available in fuchsia, teal and lime colours.

This is only a small selection of the new items received, so we look forward to seeing you in our stores to explore the colours and textures of our fair trade products!

Celebrate Women this Mother's Day

2010-04-29T14:58:00.005-04:00

With Mother's Day a week away, we thought it would be appropriate to stop and take a focus on India's women. As we celebrate our mothers here, we can think of the ones there.

Fair Trade empowers India's mothers, grandmothers and daughters.

Despite recent positive change, women in India continue to face considerable challenges. There are fewer paid women in the workforce than men, yet women work longer hours and ear less. Women have difficulty in gaining land rights, and rarely inherit property. The average Indian woman bears her first child before the age of 22, and often has little say regarding her own fertility and reproductive health. Women often face violence in family life. Nutritional discrimination affects health and life expectancy.

The empowerment of Indian women is essential to their future. By supporting Indian Fair Trade groups, you are investing in long-term social and economic development for women, providing not only equitable income, but also social literacy and health programs that ensure better lives. Over 70% of the artisans we work with are women.

Fairly traded, handcrafted products connect you to the lives of gifted artisans - grandmothers, mothers and daughters around the world.

A Snapshot: Women in India

Female population

481 million (of approx. 1.16 billion)

Life expectancy

67.17 years

Literacy rate

47.48%

Farm labourers who are female

55-65%

Secondary school attendance

49%

Births attended by health professionals

43%

Fair Trade: A Human Journey

2010-04-28T14:41:00.005-04:00

Ten Thousand Villages in Ottawa is proud to announce the launch of a new book by Canadian photojournalist Eric St-Pierre. Fair Trade: A Human Journey is now available in our stores, in both English and French editions.

This beautiful book features 350 stunning photographs accompanied by evocative text - a combination which celebrates the world of fair trade by exploring the lives of people in many countries whose lives have been touched by this alternative trading system.

The first chapter of the book examines the history of fair trade and the world of handicrafts, in particular a number of artisan groups in Bangladesh that create products for Ten Thousand Villages.

Several other chapters of the book are also directly related to products in our stores, such as:

The CONOCADO cocoa producers who supply La Siembra;
Shea butter producers in Burkina Faso;
Rice farmers in Thailand.

There are also many other chapters covering the wider world of fair trade including tea, coffee, flower, wine and much more. Through the vibrant images and passionate text, the reader truly gets a sense of the positive difference that fair trade makes in the lives of so many people.

This book is highly recommended for any one committed to fair trade, social justice and international development.

Thank You

2010-04-15T10:24:00.004-04:00

A simple thank you goes so far - but this is a HUGE thank you to our volunteers at our 1174 Bank Street and 371 Richmond Road stores. As we celebrate National Volunteer Week from April 18-24th we reflect often on the vital role they play.

Our volunteers truly have made an impact in the last year sharing their love of handicrafts, commitment to fair trade and desire to make a difference in the lives of our artisans.

In 2009 our volunteers in Ottawa gave over 6200 hours of their time to the fair trade movement.

The contribution of our volunteers is at the core of what we do! They tell the stories of our artisans, share their belief that everyone deserves the right to earn a living with dignity and respect, and they help our customers make meaningful purchases.

THANK YOU GRACIAS SIYABONGA TERIMA KASIH DHENABAD SALAMAT PO CAM ON OBRIGADO MERCI

Earth Day at Ten Thousand Villages Ottawa

2010-04-14T11:18:00.003-04:00

Ten Thousand Villages is thrilled to celebrate Earth Day 2010, on April 22nd by donating 10% of our sales from that day to Ecology Ottawa! We take pride in ensuring our artisans earn a fair wage in safe working conditions, often while working with recycled materials.

Ten Thousand Villages Ottawa also takes pride in celebrating and supporting local organizations committed to our community and environment!

We believe this shows our continued commitment to the environment in both Ottawa stores. Our customers have shown great enthusiasm for our Nickel-a-Bag program. Every time a customer makes a purchase and take no packaging we make a 5 cent donation to environmental projects through Mennonite Central Committee. For people who choose to take a bag, our new bags are 100% biodegradable.

Previous donations have supported a project in India that is encouraging organic farming which will improve soil and water conditions, increase agriculture production, reduce expenditures and dependency on chemical/pesticides and in turn enhance their livelihood, health and food security. Approximately 7,000 people in four villages in the state of Orissa will have benefited from this project.

Spring Treat

2010-04-09T11:02:00.005-04:00

We have a selection of bags on sale in both Ottawa locations.

While the bags are 50% off the original price the artisans have still received 100% of the payment! We are committed to paying our artisans in full before the items ever leave the country of origin. Customers benefit from the sales as we reduce the price to clear out items and make room in the warehouse for new product coming in!

Whether you are looking for a new bag for Spring, or one for a special occasion this summer there is a great assortment to choose from.

Fair Trade Rice & Connecting with Farmers

2010-04-08T13:09:00.005-04:00

Fair Trade Organic Rice from Thailand

While the International Year of Rice was celebrated back in 2004, there's no time like the present to take a closer look at this fantastic product and the people behind it. The EQUITA fair trade, organic brown, white and red jasmine rice sells for just $5.00 per 500g at both Ottawa locations.

The Thai organic, fair trade rice project began in 1993 between a local Thai NGO and Swiss organization called Claro. The Thai rice farmers behind the EQUITA rice are all members of the Green Net Cooperative with the majority of their exported products travelling to Europe. In 2004, the Green Net rice farmers were interviewed in an attempt to further connect consumers with producers. Here's what the Thai rice farmers wanted you, the consumer, to know.

* While organic farming increases the market value of a product, almost all farmers spoke of the health benefits for the farmer, the consumer, and the environment as the primary motivator for converting to organic.

* Farmers are proud of the products they grow.

* Small farmers are necessary for the preservation of biodiversity

* There are still risks associated with small-scale farming, like the weather, finding markets, and competing with large agri-businesses that move into the organics industry

* Consumers play a vital role in determining production trends. Thank you for choosing fair trade, organic!

As the weather warms and family and friends join together for meals outdoors, consider using EQUITA fair trade organic jasmine rice in this tasty recipe:

- 1 cup uncooked EQUITA rice (try mixing red and white rice!)
- EQUITA's ginger, curry, pepper and nutmeg
- 3 bell peppers any colour (diced)
- 24 medium-sized cooked shrimp
- dressing: garlic, olive oil, soy sauce, coriander, lemon

Prep -
- marinate shrimp at least 2 hours before in 3 tbsp olive oil, tsp lemon juice, 1tsp curry, pinch of ground nutmeg and 1 chopped garlic clove - keep in refrigerator
- cook rice following instructions on package
- saute peppers in a pan with olive oil. Set aside.
- mix 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp ginger & pepper for the dressing
- toss rice, shrimp, dressing together. Decorate with coriander

A great big thank you to our volunteer Sara for her contribution to this post!

March New Items at Ten Thousand Villages

2010-03-29T15:41:00.013-04:00

Last week both Ten Thousand Villages stores in Ottawa unpacked a shipment of delightful new fair trade items from around the world.

Most notably we have a significant quantity of new jewellery, much of it made by the talented artisans with Tara Projects in New Delhi, India, including a wide range of earrings, necklaces and bracelets. This is just a small selection...

The new jewellery also includes pieces from Indonesia and the Philippines.

We also have good number of affordable scarves in lightweight materials to accent your spring wardrobe.

And our friends at St Mary's in Ahmadabad have sent us a range of their beautifully embroidered bags and purses.

We're also receiving fresh supplies of some old favourites that have been out of stock since Christmas. We look forward to seeing you in one of our stores soon!

Fair Trade Sports Balls

2010-03-19T13:07:00.003-04:00

Sports enthusiasts may be alarmed to learn that the majority of leather soccer balls sold in the world are hand-stitched by children. There IS an alternative - fair trade certified sports balls, available at Ten Thousand Villages in Ottawa. As we enter the spring / summer sports season we encourage you to play fair with fair trade and no child labour.

The sports balls are produced in safe, clean working conditions by adults working for Talon Sports in Pakistan. Mentally handicapped people, who find it very hard to find work elsewhere, are included in the workforce.

The balls are imported into Canada by Fair World Sports, a program of Y Focus / YMCA in Ottawa. Profits are used to fund peace building and youth projects in Sierra Leone. Fair World Sports also collects used balls and sports equipment for distribution to schools and orphanages in developing countries around the world.

Both Ten Thousand Villages stores in Ottawa generally have the following products in stock, and can special order any products listed on the Fair World Sports web site. Balls are also sold at the YMCA Metro Branch fair trade boutique on Argyle Ave.

Soccer Balls
- sizes 3 (kids), 4 (youth) and 5 (adult) in Team quality
- size 5 in Match quality

Beach Volleyballs

Basketballs

Footballs

Fair Trade for Easter

2010-03-16T10:46:00.001-04:00

Easter this year is the first weekend of April and we have a number of fair trade products to help you mark the occasion.

New this year are a number of papier mache creations from the artisans at Asha Handicrafts in India. Recycling newspapers to make art is a great way to help the environment.

We have small decorative eggs hand painted in a number of different patterns...

... as well as larger eggs...

... which open up and would be the ideal place to hide some Divine foil-wrapped Easter eggs, an annual favourite with many of our customers.

At only $8.50 a bag, they are a delicious way to make your Easter egg hunt fun for the whole family while allowing cocoa farmers in Ghana to earn a fair income with no child labour.

New Items for Spring!

2010-03-08T11:38:00.014-05:00

As spring arrives in the nation's capital we have some lovely new fair trade items to brighten up your home and garden - these are all now available at both Ten Thousand Villages stores in Ottawa.

First up, an eclectic range of birdhouses from India, the Philippines and Indonesia.

You can also attract our feathered friends to this beautiful new Vietnamese birdbath, available in green or bronze.

We're entertained by these quirky decorative birds, also from Indonesia.

Those of you who attended our Taste of India event last summer will be excited to see new textiles from the women of St Mary's in Ahmedabad - skillfully embroidered cushion covers, tablecloths and napkins.

Ready for summer days serving lemonade on the patio? These recycled glass pitchers and glasses are ideal!

This beautiful wood and ceramic serving set from Indonesia would grace any table.

Finally, for lovers of our popular cat puzzle boxes, we have a range of similar items in assorted leaf designs.

Take advantage of this beautiful weather by exploring our neighbourhoods of Westboro and Old Ottawa South - both areas have plenty of free parking and many interesting shops. We hope to see you soon!

Cool Fair Trade Treat

2010-02-26T13:40:00.003-05:00

Many of you may have read already, but there was a lot of excitement last week when Ben & Jerry's announced their entire line of ice cream would go entirely fair trade by 2013.

It is really exciting news, and will get more people thinking about where their treats come from.

Transfair USA has a good link and blog post about it!

Elegant Capiz Shell

2010-02-18T14:33:00.008-05:00

Capiz – also known as Placuna Placenta – is an ocean mollusk found in the shallow coastal waters of the Philippine and Indonesian islands where it feeds on plankton and algae. Naturally thin and off white in colour, this translucent mollusk consists of two shells (one convex, the other flat) with a dull outside finish and a silvery surface inside. Only a cm thick, this oyster's beautiful translucent quality has long made it an extremely popular material for making delicate "stained glass" windows.

Originally harvested in the town of Capiz on the island of Panay, these mollusks are gathered by skilled divers who grope for the shells using their fingers and toes – a skilled diver can collect approximately 6000 in one day!

After being harvested for meat, capiz shells are sold to local traders and artisans to be fashioned into ornaments, plates, and bowls. To soften and whiten the shells, artisans first wash them in muriatic acid and rinse them with water, using coarse sand to exfoliate the surface. These softened, clean shells are then hand cut into various shapes using templates. After baking them in an oven to dry, artisans sand and brush the shells with a top coat to smooth the surface. To create plates and bowls, thicker, less translucent shells are laminated by pressing them into molds one layer at a time. Ornaments, however, use the translucent variety of shell, their edges delicately trimmed with soldered brass wire, each joint painted with shimmering gold leaf paint. In this way, gorgeous capiz shells are painstakingly transformed into works of art.

Ten Thousand Villages gets our beautiful pieces of art made from capiz from Saffy Handicrafts in the Phillipines. Saffy was founded in 1966 by Sr. Juliaan Mullie, a Belgian nun, to create alternative sources of livelihood for impoverished women and youth in marginalized areas of Manila. The mission expanded to serve communities in need by launching social development programs.

Saffy provides employment for more than 1,000 people, including 40 workers in its own production unit. These artisans benefit from educational seminars, vocational training, financial and medical assistance, and profit sharing. Saffy has also hired product designers to assist the various artisan groups in their development of new product lines. The organization provides marketing and export services to about 70 artisan workshops and to numerous other groups with similar objectives.

Both Ottawa stores recently received lotus shaped capiz canndleholders back in stock. The translucent petals of this capiz lotus flower allow the soft light of
your candle to shine through.

10,000 Bottles

2010-02-11T14:15:00.004-05:00

To date, more than ten thousand bottles of Fair Trade Zatoun extra virgin olive oil has been sold at Ten Thousand Villages in Canada.

In addition to bottles sold, it has raised over $16,000 for Trees for Life, enabling the planting of 4,210 olive trees. The olive trees are an integral part of life for many Palestinians. The olive tree is known as the tree of eternity. Capable of living for millennia, it sheds it canopy every 150 years, revitalizing itself with each re-generation, yielding new growth and fruit that will provide for future generations of families.

In Palestinian tradition, when a child is born, she is bathed in warm olive oil that has been harvested from the family's ancestral orchards, trees that have nurtured the family for generations. And when that child grows to bear children and grandchildren of her own, she will bathe them in oil from the same familial trees, enacting a custom that has, for centuries, established a bond of love between generations.

Another $10,000 has been raised for Project Hope, providing music, arts and writing workshops, language classes and recreational programs to Palestinian children in refugee camps.

The olive oil is cold-pressed using traditional chemical-free methods from olives cultivated and tended by hand without the use of pesticides or fertilizers.

As a great complement to the olive oil, Zatoun also offers delicious Za'atar, made with wild thyme and sumac, mixed with roasted sesame seeds and salt. Both the olive oil and spice mix are available at both Ottawa locations!

Zatoun has provided us with some great ways to use these wonderful products:

Classic: Zatoun Olive Oil & Za'atar Dip
Nothing is easier than this. Take 2 bowls in one pour Zatoun extra virgin olive
oil. In the other a quantity of Zatoun za'atar. Cut rough Italian or French
bread into 1 inch squares or use pita.

Dip bread only in the olive oil to appreciate the oil only. With another piece
dip first in oil and then in the za'atar to taste both. Easiest is to mix oil and
za'atar in same bowl and dip only once.

Yogurt Za'atar Veggie Dip
Not a strict recipe - please experiment. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup yogurt,
optional: add 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup Zatoun za'atar. Serve veggie
spears (cucumber, peppers, celery, carrot, etc.). Or dip pita crisps.
Alternate use: flavour cottage cheese and make it exciting!

Mediterranean night or summer snack
This is traditional refreshing late night or summer snack enjoyed by
Palestinians and other Mediterraneans. Cut up wedges of watermelon,
wedges of feta cheese, bowl of Zatoun za'atar, pita and serve with hot
mint tea.

Mashed Potatoes with olive oil & za'atar
Instead of butter use Zatoun olive oil for a healthy "comfort food". Also
taste with a healthy and liberal sprinkling of za'atar.

Fair Trade Chocolate for Valentine's Day

2010-02-09T14:48:00.003-05:00

For a limited time only, we have our popular - and extremely delicious - special chocolates from Divine in stock at both Ottawa stores:

Dark chocolate with raspberries
White chocolate with strawberries

Treat your loved one to fair trade chocolate this weekend!

Treat your Valentine this year

2010-01-29T15:50:00.002-05:00

From now until February 13th, all necklaces in store over $50 are 25% off!

We have a great selection of unique items from around the world, including India, Kenya and Peru. Each item is hand made and represents the impact that paying fair wages has for artisans.

If you are buying a piece of jewellery be sure to ask our volunteers for the artisan information about the group that made the item. A great way to learn more about the people making these pieces.

Family Literacy Day

2010-01-26T11:00:00.007-05:00

Family Literacy Day is celebrated every January 27th, as an opportunity to read as a family, and share the joy of reading with children.

From the ABC Canada website:

"Family Literacy Day takes place every year on January 27. ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and Honda Canada created the day in 1999 to encourage families to read and learn together. Thousands of Canadians take part in Family Literacy Day events and activities at schools, libraries and literacy organizations.

Literacy is more than books. There are many ways to strengthen your literacy skills - all it takes is practicing for 15 minutes every day. Reading, writing, playing a game, following a recipe or even singing a song all help prepare children for challenges ahead and sharpen skills for adults."

One of the most popular sections in our store is the kids books. These books all have a global theme, encouraging kids to think about other cultures.

A more recent addition to the offerings is Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa. It is based on the story of Wangari Maathai, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 2004 for her tree planting efforts in Kenya. It is a fabulous way to introduce an influential real woman, to a young reader.

Other popular titles include: One Well: The Story of Water on Earth, We All Went on Safari, One Hen and Nursery Tales Around the World.

Comité Artisanal Haïtien

2010-01-21T16:00:00.003-05:00

We have had many inquiries regarding our artisans in Haiti and if we are doing any aid in Haiti following the devastating earthquake earlier this month.

Ten Thousand Villages across Canada are accepting donations for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) for immediate and long term assistance. Cheques can be dropped off at Ten Thousand Villages stores, made out to Mennonite Central Committee. Additionally, our coin collection boxes are focused on the work MCC does in Haiti. MCC has been working in Haiti since 1958 with a focus recently on reforestation, environmental education, human rights and advocacy for food security.

Additionally, Ten Thousand Villages works with artisan group Comité Artisanal Haïtien (CAH). Comité Artisanal Haïtien (CAH) director Gisèle Fleurant is in the process of contacting the group’s artisans. She has been able to get in touch with the majority of those living outside of Port-au-Prince, but has only heard from roughly a quarter of those living in the capital city, all of whom have lost their homes but are otherwise okay.

Outside of Port-au-Prince, CAH’s cut metal artisans in Croix des Bouquets were not severely hit by the earthquake – all are okay, and none have lost houses. Artisans near Jacmel report that most of their workshops and homes have collapsed, while in the Leogane/Gressier area, all homes have fallen. No lives have been lost.

Fleurant thanks all Ten Thousand Villages customers, volunteers and staff for the comfort offered by their continuing support and prayers.

We have a number of items from Comité Artisanal Haïtien in store.

Individuals impacting Fair Trade

2010-01-20T11:27:00.003-05:00

The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) recently highlighted two men who have made a significant impact on Fair Trade.

Fazle Hasan Abed was recently named to the Queen’s New Year’s Honour List 2010 for his work tackling poverty and empowering the poor in Bangladesh and in some countries in Asia and Africa. His work with artisan group BRAC/Aarong has made a difference in the lives of many.

The Aarong export and marketing project was jointly organized by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) in 1978. It is now directly handled by BRAC. BRAC is managed entirely by Bangladeshis and is the largest non-governmental development organization in the country.

BRAC has initiated education projects in one fifth of the country’s 80,000 villages, and founded a university in 2001. It is also responsible for thousands of health programs,numerous agriculture and food production businesses, and micro-credit initiatives.

Aarong works to empower the poor and strengthen traditional craftsmanship. The organization involves over 30,000 artisans, (85% of whom are women), employed through small community groups.

To read more about Fazle Hasan Abed read the WFTO article.

The second is a beautiful tribute to Dr. Shyam Sharma. The Fair Trade community has been mourning his passing on December 24th, 2009. He was one of the founders of Tara Projects. Tara Projects (Trade Alternative Reform Action) was established in 1973 by a study group of social workers and students at Jamia Millia University looking for ways to change the lives of the “untouchables.” Beginning in Delhi, the organization expanded to adjoining states of North India, working to eliminate unfair trade practices and child labour, to fight the exploitation of artisans, and to support Fair Trade and human dignity. TARA is a pioneering Indian organization in the field of fair wages, nonformal education programs for children and women, health and environmental awareness, adult literacy centres and further development for its member artisans.

Dr. Sharma was truly a pioneer in Fair Trade, and will be missed by the global community.

Great new handmade cards

2010-01-09T14:28:00.012-05:00

We think this is a fabulous way to start out the new year. We just got a new batch of handmade cards in. Great for writing thank you notes for all those holiday presents.

Last Minute Holiday Shopping & Christmas Sale

2009-12-23T12:24:00.004-05:00

Both Ten Thousand Villages stores in Ottawa are open 9am-9pm today, and 9am-3pm tomorrow (Christmas Eve) - we still have a great selection of fair trade crafts and food products for last-minute shoppers!

We have some specials on our remaining Christmas products:

Ornaments: buy two, get a third for 1¢ (of equal or lesser value)
Nativities & Garlands: all 30% off

Both stores will be closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Sunday December 27th - to allow our staff and volunteers time to relax and enjoy the holidays with their families.

Both stores will be open reduced hours next week:

Monday - Wednesday: 10am-5pm
New Year's Eve: 10am-3pm

We will be closed New Year's Day, and will reopen with regular hours on Saturday January 2nd.

From all of us at Ten Thousand Villages in Ottawa, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy and peaceful new year.

Fortune ornaments

2009-12-09T14:47:00.004-05:00

One of our favourite new ornaments for this Christmas season is the beautiful silk 'fortune' ornament from Vietnam, available in cream with burgundy accents and black with gold accents.

There is a hidden secret to these ornaments. Gently squeezing the top and bottom will reveal an opening ... buried inside each ornament is a scroll of paper bearing a fortune for the lucky recipient! Or you can write your own messages to surprise family and friends!

Thanks!

2009-12-08T15:57:00.002-05:00

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our fundraising evening at the Bank St store last week. Enthusiastic Christmas shoppers mean we will be making a donation of over $240 to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Many thanks for your support!

And thanks to everyone who came out to see Voyageur, the Six String Nation guitar at the Westboro store yesterday. We hope you all enjoyed the chance to get up close and personal with this beautiful creation!