New Books to Read – A School for My Village and Where am I Wearing

There is no shortage of great books out there – only a shortage of time to enjoy them all! What is heading my way next week: A School for My Village: A Promise to the Orphans of Nyaka by Twesigye Jackson Kaguri and Where am I Wearing by Kelsey Timmerman, thanks to Michelle Hamman of Mother Tongues for the recommendation.

A School for My Village is the story of the building of an extraordinary school for orphans in Kaguri’s home country of Uganda. It details the astonishing effort by one man to raise an African community out of poverty and hopelessness. Since I’ve begun working on a new project that will work with a women’s sewing cooperative in Uganda, I am eager to learn more about the country and its history. I can’t wait to get this book in my hands!

The second book, recommended by Michelle, is going to be another interesting read. Written by journalist Kelsey Timmerman, Where am I Wearing was inspired when he noticed the tags of his favorite clothing featured various countries from Honduras to China. Timmerman decided to visit each of the countries and factories where his five favorite pieces of clothing were made and detailed his findings in this book. He talks about globalization and outsourcing and the vastly different worlds we in the West live compared to those who live and work in the countries that make the goods we purchase.

You can see a short trailer on the book to give you an idea of what Timmerman learned on his trip.

Have you read either of these books? I’d love to hear what you thought of them – but no spoilers! I haven’t read them yet!

~Megy

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

Child marriage in many countries isn’t new. In fact, it’s all too common. Cultural mores, traditions and poverty can be counted among the reasons but the results are tragic. Young girls are sexually assaulted, pulled out of school so they never receive an education, and the cycle of poverty continues.

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, is a powerful and inspiring story of a young woman who decided to do something about being forced into marriage and won her right to a divorce in her home country of Yemen. She, effectively, became the youngest woman to request and be granted a divorce.

The story is a hard one to read because Nujood is just one of thousands of young girls whose fate is sealed because of their fathers, uncles or brothers decided it for them. They have no voice. They have no opportunities to continue schooling. It is so unfair.

Nujood’s life had changed soon after her divorce was declared with international media surrounding her and her family. She made some very difficult decisions for a nine year old at the time but she also shed light to a topic often deemed acceptable in her society. National Public Radio did an excellent piece on Nujood last year as well.

I’ve tried to do some research to see where Nujood is in her life right now. She is a young teenager. Is she still in school, heading toward becoming a lawyer like the lawyer who took on her case and helped her win? I’d love to see that – her helping changed cultural mores and to push hard for young girls (and boys) to stay in school as long as possible.

Have you read the book? What did you think?

~Megy

The Help Encourages Discussion of Life’s Imbalances

The Help is a great book on many levels. It’s an entertaining read but it’s so much more than that. The book highlights the imbalances of relationships, specially between white women and black maids in the early 1960’s, in Jackson, Mississippi. Author Kathryn Stockett tackles a volatile subject matter with a deft hand. I couldn’t help but see the similarities between her subject matter and the relationship between the Northern and Southern parts of the world as it relates to fair trade.

The book has been translated into a movie that opened in theaters nationwide last week. From what I hear, it’s a great film and now that I’ve read the book, I’m looking forward to seeing the flick as well. But here’s what I’d really love to do – talk about the book and what it is trying to teach us. And this is where retailers can help.

Host a book club to talk about the book in your shop. Organize a film viewing date. Encourage your customers to share their thoughts and stories during an afternoon event. Let’s not just read the book or see the movie and be on to the next thing. Take the topic further and ask how we can balance the imbalances of life and how fair trade is working (or not working).

If you’ve not read the book, I highly recommend it. If you have read it and have a copy, share it with someone else (that’s what I’m doing with my copy). Buy it from your local independent bookstore and support them in the process, too (hey, perhaps you can even offer to host a book club session and speak on the topic of fair trade in their shop?).

What did you think of the book? Would love to hear your thoughts!

~Megy

 

 

 

 

 

The True Price of Food – and how interrupcion * is making a difference

As you enjoy a juicy mango on a hot afternoon, do you ever wonder if it might have been picked by someone who lives in virtual slavery? It’s not an appealing thought and one most grocery stores aren’t likely to share with you as you add those cherries, grapes or pineapple in your grocery cart.

Barry Estabrook wrote Politics of the Plate: The Price of Tomatoes for Gourmet magazine in March 2009 that detailed the realities of virtual slavery in Immokalee, the tomato capital of the United States. The article won a James Beard Award.

According to the piece, between December and May, as much as 90 percent of the fresh domestic tomatoes we eat come from south Florida, and Immokalee is home to one of the area’s largest communities of farmworkers. I guess Mr. Estabrook had enough content that he couldn’t include in the article that he ended up writing a book on the subject, just released, called Tomatoland.

As I see our tomatoes growing in our backyard, and trying to eat as much as possible from food available at farmers’ markets or locally grown sources, it’s a topic that’s especially interesting to me.

That’s one of the reasons I’m keenly interested in what interrupcion* is doing in the field of organic AND fair trade fruits. The organization started in Buenos Aires and now offers a small range (but yummy) of fruits (and olive oil and honey) to grocery stores nationwide. Check out its selection of fair trade and organic offerings.

What was even more exciting to me is its “Get Involved” page. Whether you’re a consumer interested in exercising your consumer purchasing power, a business interested in stocking some of its products or member of the media interested in a story of how a business CAN succeed while employing a different business model, we ALL can be part of the solution.

Shown here is a different type of calendar that interrupcion* posted on its Facebook page earlier this week and I just love it…it shows what type of foods are in season in Latin America. How cool would it be to use THIS to create your grocery list?

Do you ever seek and buy fair trade and (or) organic foods? Do you think they taste better?

~Megy

Let’s Make Change Happen – Let’s Move Past Good Intentions

Like many fair trade companies, I get weekly requests for mentoring advice on starting a fair trade business. Part of the appeal, to some, is the traveling to remote parts of the world. For others, it’s a deeper connection or feeling they need to do more than just send a check to their favorite charity. And yet for others, it’s another reason altogether. Whatever the reason, I’m always humbled when someone takes the time to reach out to me and ask for my advise. I’m not sure if what I share is of any value, but I’m excited that someone is considering a new business venture that values people and the planet over profit.

That’s one of the reasons I’m particularly excited to have just received a new book by people who are experts in their fields. More than Good Intentions was written by Dean Karlan and Jacob Appel and, according to the website, will share how Americans can be more focused and realistic about the monies they donate to groups aimed to help people in need. Using their experience and education in economics and field research, the duo sets out to illustrate the extremes of great need despite the fact that Americans contribute more than two billions of dollars annually to charities.

I’m looking forward to reading the book and sharing my thoughts with you. In the meantime, what are your recommendations to helping invest dollars where it counts? How do you want to see change happen?

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! Have a great weekend!

~Megy