When Gwen Repeta—the manager at Ten Thousand Villages on Plaza Drive—makes a sale, her joy-filled heart almost jumps out of her chest. That’s because every item sold—from a small handcrafted ornament to a large carved camel—is supporting artisans in Third World countries who rely on the income to feed their families and send their children to school. This is a sombre reality for many in places like Uganda or Pakistan, and something Canadians simply take for granted.

“We’re sort of like a Rubik’s Cube,” Repeta explains, surrounded by wooden sculptures and hand-woven carpets. “It has different colours and pieces that all come together, and that concept does work because that is the essence of what we’re doing.”

What is Fair Trade? Ten Thousand Villages follows the fair trade practices outlined by the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT). But just what is fair trade? IFAT explains it this way: fair trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers—especially in the South. Fair trade organizations have a clear commitment to fair trade as the principal core of their mission. They, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade. They can be recognised by the FTO Mark. Fair trade is more than just trading: it proves that greater justice in world trade is possible. It highlights the need for change in the rules and practice of conventional trade and shows how a successful business can also put people first. IFAT goes on to identify seven basic principles of fair trade. They include: 1. Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers 2. Transparency and accountability 3. Capacity building 4. Payment of a fair price 5. Gender equity 6. Working conditions 7. The environment Sources: tenthousandvillages.ca, ifat.org.

Ten Thousand Villages is a not-for-profit, fair trade organization with 160 retail stores in North America. There are 50 locations in Canada. All of the unique, handcrafted products are made by residents who live in poverty in 30 Third World countries.
An arm of the Mennonite Central

Committee (MCC), the stores belong to the International Fair Trade Association. All of their products are fairly purchased from artisan groups who are paid fair wages for their work. They are given 50 per cent in advance when an order is made, and get their full payment before their products are shipped out of the country. Today Ten Thousand Villages sells crafts from 120 groups, with an estimated 60,000 men and women around the world who make them.

“There is gender equity—males and females are paid the same amount for their labour. And the wages are paid based on the economic standing of a country,” Repeta says.

The vision to give artisans who would otherwise be unemployed hope for the future was formed by a Pennsylvania woman named Edna Ruth Byler in 1946. She had been working in Puerto Rico for MCC when she discovered that volunteers with the organization were teaching sewing classes to poverty-stricken women. Inspired, Byler brought the embroidery home and began selling it to friends and neighbours. The company became a part of the MCC in the early 1970s when SelfHelp Crafts moved out of her basement. The name was later changed to Ten Thousand Villages in 1996. Since then, Byler’s dreams for the company have never strayed. To this day, it remains dedicated to helping the less fortunate in developing countries. It also aims to teach its employees by sending them overseas to see how Ten Thousand Villages is improving the lives of artisans.

In the past two years Repeta has travelled to Uganda and Kenya. She is visibly affected by what she saw and has a new appreciation for the work displayed in the store. A cultural symphony, you might say, of handmade art and crafts from around the world. Nicaraguan pottery painted by makeshift brushes, Kenyan soapstone carved into silhouettes of a mother and child, and candles from Peru made entirely from a Brazilian nut that had dropped from a tree.

“Those images,” Repeta offers, after explaining the living and working conditions of the people she met, “they don’t leave you. It’s nice to be part of something so big and so intimate.”

She also has trouble containing herself when a customer buys a woven basket, or a carpet made right in front of her. In fact, she often finds herself telling the customer about her experience—whether or not they want to hear about it.

“It’s a huge party when we sell a carpet,” she laughs. “The larger carpets create more work and I say to myself, ‘yes, there will be more carpets made.’”

At the heart of the business are the volunteers who spend countless hours remaining true to the mission of the store. Selma Bock and Tina Enns have a combined 28 years of volunteer work at Ten Thousand Villages and they don’t envision ever leaving.

“You hear the stories about baskets from the Philippines and what the women go through to make them,” Bock says. “People see the prices and think, ‘Oh, that’s expensive,’ but for the time spent and the work done it’s not very expensive.”
For Enns, working for Ten Thousand Villages is a family affair. She’s following in the footsteps of her parents, who were heavily involved with the MCC. “When we lived on the farm my mom collected clothes to sell overseas,” Enns recalls. “I (now) like helping people who are trying to make a living for themselves and their children.”
Ten Thousand Villages also has a presence in rural Manitoba, with shops in the communities of Winkler, Steinbach, Altona and Brandon. Repeta says the Mennonite communities in southern Manitoba welcome the concept with open arms. “Since it’s part of the MCC it’s just natural we’d be there,” she says. “It’s to benefit the artisan. Ultimately we want to sell products and not be losing money.”

And with Christmas around the corner they are preparing for their busiest time of year. The store on Plaza Drive, just off Pembina Highway near Bishop Grandin Boulevard, can easily sell $400,000 worth of merchandise in December alone, Repeta says with a smile.

Surely her heart rate will get a boost with that kind of business. So, too, will the spirits of the artists and their families a world away.