Fair Trade Difference

  • Not Packing Book Bags…We’re Packing Rug Trucks!

    ByBunyaad

    Packing up our Rug TrucksAs kids pack up their book bags and head back to school, we here in the Bunyaad Rug Room are also busy packing up as we head into our Fair Trade Rug Event fall season.

    What is a Rug Event?

    To make sure that everyone gets to enjoy the fair trade rug experience, we take our rugs on the road and travel to over 30 fair trade locations every year. For each event we organize up to 350 rugs from 2’x3′ to 10’x14′ to create temporary mobile fair trade rug stores across the US and Canada. With the help of volunteers and staff at the hosting locations, we are able to set up and afterwards tear down our rug piles in roughly two hours!

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    Jared Rug Training Centre Empowering Women in Remote Region of Pakistan

    ByBunyaad

    Women-Training-at-Jared-Fair-Trade-Rug-CentreOne gentleman came into the Centre asking “Is there still room for my two daughters to be recruited? They have just finished their high school and now have no job opportunities in this area.” He is is a local night watchman for many nearby shops at night. He told the Center’s supervisor that he wants his daughters to be able to work and to have a source of income for life. His daughters are now enrolled in training at the Center. Once they are trained, a loom will be installed in their home, easily multiplying their income potential and empowerment and increasing the financial stability of their family.

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    Juggling Family, Household and Work

    ByBunyaad

    Bunyaad artisans Arshad, Mustaq and family

    Let Me Introduce: Arshad

    Arshad, usually called by her nickname Bebe, and her family live in the village of Darianwala located approximately six miles from the Indian border in Northeast Pakistan.

    Arshad and her husband Mustaq have been working for Bunyaad for the past five years (since 2009). Prior to joining Bunyaad the family had been drifting from place to place in hopes of finding work that would support the entire family. As a woman working outside the home would not have been acceptable for Arshad and so the challenge of providing for the entire family rested on Mustaq’s shoulders.

    How does a family in rural Pakistan make ends meet when jobs are scarce and mostly seasonal?

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    World Fair Trade Day – Why Should We Care, What Does it Mean for Us?

    ByBunyaad

    bunyaad rug artisan family at the loom

    World Fair Trade Day (WFTD) recognizes and celebrates the impact of fair trade relationships around the world. The first World Fair Trade Day was established by the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and celebrated on the second Saturday in May, 2002. Since then fair traders all over the world, including Fair Trade Federation (FTF) members, have celebrated WFTD on the second Saturday in May each year. This year, WFTD is on Saturday, May 9.

    Bunyaad is a recognized leader in fairly traded handmade rugs from Pakistan and we’ve been practicing fair trade since the 1960’s when Chaman Masih began working with just a few rug making families. Fair trade was not even part of the language back then. As time went along, Bunyaad joined forces with Ten Thousand Villages and the business of fairly traded rugs grew substantially. Just this year, Bunyaad became a member of the Fair Trade Federation and officially joined the North American and worldwide family of fair trade.

    So, why should we care about World Fair Trade Day? I think there are four main reasons:

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    Fair Trade Connections, Inspiration and Soapy Fun at Annual FTF Conference

    ByBunyaad

    FTF-Annual-Conference-imageBunyaad staff Jenni, Yousaf and Doug with four-year-old sidekick Nouraiz joined 250 other fair traders for the annual Fair Trade Federation Conference (FTF) in Del Mar, California from March 24-26. Since Bunyaad just joined the FTF a few weeks ago, this was our first FTF conference. Del Mar is just a short drive north of San Diego so we enjoyed the bonus of warm, sunny weather in addition to meeting many new fair trade friends.

    FTF-Annual-Conference-bronnersBefore the conference meetings started, we were treated to a very informative and entertaining tour of the Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap factory. Dr. Bronner’s has committed to sourcing fair trade and organic ingredients for all of its products and has an exemplary record of commitment to fair labor practices and protection of the environment. All of the employees we met spoke glowingly about the company. It was obvious that they enjoy working at Dr. Bronner’s. Before we left, a number of tour members got to hose down one of the Dr. Bronner’s employees with Magic Soap suds – one of the fun extra-circular activities used by Dr. Bronner’s to generate publicity. Dr. Bronner’s is a member of the FTF and the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), and, since their annual sales are approaching $100 million, they are one of the largest members.