After tsunami, artisans prove value of fair trade approach

Lorma Wiebe doesn’t need convincing. After 23 years managing Ten Thousand Villages in downtown Kearney, Wiebe has seen the power of fair trade. It came home to her this month in messages from India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, where upwards of 300,000 lives were lost in the Dec. 26 tsunami.

Wiebe and others associated with Ten Thousand Villages watched intently in the aftermath of the tsunami, fearing the 100-foot tall waves could have washed away thousands of the artisans who supply the exotic handmade merchandise for Ten Thousand Villages outlets in the United States and Canada.

Founded by Mennonites in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages works with artisan groups in 40 Third World countries, paying fair prices for crafts so the artisans’ success can spread to others in their countries. Proof that the Ten Thousand Villages fair trade philosophy is working came as e-mail messages trickled into the Kearney shop from South Asian suppliers.

Just as it was a relief learning of the artisans’ safety, Wiebe said it was a thrill to learn they were planning to help victims of the tsunami.

The leader of an artisan group in Indonesia wrote in broken English: “Regarding to this tragedy, the Cooperative Apikri and the producers group partners wish to help the community in disaster area — Aceh and North Sumatra — by donating some fund — as much we can donate.”

In Sri Lanka, artisans in the capital, Colombo, planned to donate one day’s earnings. Artisans in Madampe planned to ship food, water and medical supplies.

The artisans had once been unable to help themselves. Now they are helping others.

The significance of the artisans’ donations might be lost here in America, where our government pledged $350 million and private donors have given millions of additional dollars. But the significance is not lost on Wiebe, nor is it lost on the person who is taking her place as manager at Ten Thousand Villages, Sandy Randall.

“For them to be able to donate, on their level, is amazing,” Randall said this week.

As the new manager at Kearney’s Ten Thousand Villages, Randall has large shoes to fill. There’s no telling how many hours Wiebe volunteered. She never left a doubt that a part of her heart was overseas with the suppliers.

Several years ago during a trip to Bangladesh, Wiebe met some of Ten Thousand Villages’ artisans. They transform the country’s mud and jute into beautiful pottery and plant hangers.

“They were excited seeing my photos of their things on the shelves in Kearney,” Wiebe said.

Randall brings a marketing degree to her new post. She also has retail experience, and, as a former Head Start teacher, she admits she’s always been a bit of an activist.

“I wasn’t a protester, just someone who had a lot to say about a lot of things,” she said.

Randall recently told a UNK marketing class about Ten Thousand Village’s philosophy. “They wanted to know about the advertising plan and the branding, but that wasn’t why I was there.”

Instead, Randall explained how Ten Thousand Villages works with Third World artisans, helping them improve and adapt their products for sale in North America. Unlike companies that aim to drive down costs, regardless of the effect on impoverished suppliers, Ten Thousand Villages hopes its fair trade approach provides artisan groups sustainable income that leads to better food, education, health care and housing.

“We spend a lot of time helping people understand what fair trade means,” Randall said.

Soon, Randall will attend training at Ten Thousand Villages’ headquarters in Pennsylvania, and Wiebe will step further away from the shop.

She said she’ll miss the volunteers, who are key to the shop’s operation. And she’ll miss the customers. Looking back on the 23 years, Wiebe said she’s happy she had the opportunity to help some small parts of the world.

Thumbing through the e-mail messages from the tsunami zone, Randall says there still is plenty to do. “The relief and the rebuilding aren’t done.”

Mike Konz is the Hub’s managing editor.
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mike.konz@kearneyhub.com