I love meeting visitors in our store. My thick Polish accent, despite decades spent in U.S., is a dead giveaway that I was not born here and a great start of wonderful conversations.
Recently, I was talking to a lady from Guatemala. She was my age, we got along great. Both proud of our families and heritage, cherishing our backgrounds while appreciating the benefits of living here – though still missing our childhood. Wistfully she said, “I have my own condo and a car. In Guatemala – for the whole family, only our uncle had a bicycle so he could commute to work”.
In a nearby town, there was a little store which sold only Fair Trade items. It is closed now, but the owner gave me one of the most memorable descriptions of what Fair Trade is. “You know”, he said, “often it is a difference for the family of selling their child into slavery or not“. I reeled from the vividness of that statement, knowing it is true.
Giving people the ability to make a proud living and validating their work - isn't it the only true answer to improving the ridiculous, insane split of wealth of 1% and the rest of the world? The rich will not change their ways easily, but we, the consumer have a choice what we support.
Nobody wants charity. Fair Trade helps disadvantaged communities be stronger. It does not make the products cheaper for us, it is usually more expensive since the artisan is paid right. But it gives all of us, both sides, gift of dignity of paying fairly.
Natural Clothing Company is proud to offer several brands of Fair Trade clothing and jewelry. Our latest arrival from Indigenous, made in Peru, takes our breath away with its beauty and quality. Made FairTrade of natural fibers – organic cotton, wool and alpaca. The manufacturer is a leader in ethical fashion with more money going directly to the artisans than any other apparel company on the planet.
Natural Clothing Song
BTW, if you did not have a chance to hear our song written by local Snohomish artist David Douglas (written just for you!) -- you can leave a comment right here.
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