Ten Thousand Villages News

Victor Chiteura is proud to be called Zvakanaka, a term of endearment given to him by his crafter team. Zvakanaka, means “maker of nice stuff,” a modest assessment of someone whose reliability and attention to detail and quality places him ahead of his competition in the wireworks craft sector in South Africa.

Chiteura is aware of the need for innovation and efficiency in the craft industry, as in all artistic endeavors. He treats all orders with care, recognizing that the smallest sample might lead to the biggest order. He knows the empowering potential of such orders, and that through them, families can be supported and lives can change. Chiteura appreciates this in light of his own personal journey, and his struggles towards self preservation during times of immense hardship.

Chiteura was born in Zimbabwe in 1968. He was one of four children living in a family of abject poverty. His father died when he was 10, leaving his mother to fend for them in their rural home. Chiteura left school in grade 8 to find and provide financial support for his family. He moved to the city when he was 16, selling cigarettes and constantly job hunting despite scarce resources. He lived alone on the streets for two years, selling vegetables to survive. This is a far cry from his life now, in which he feels blessed by his wife, Precious, their seven-year-old son, Loyiso, and an abundance of friends and “cousin-brothers.”

It was during his period of extreme poverty in 1990 that Chiteura began to teach himself craft skills. He set himself a goal, and in 1993, after his mother’s death, he managed to save money to buy a Zimbabwean passport, craft materials and to pay for his travel costs to South Africa.

Chiteura lived in Durban before settling in Port Elizabeth in 1995, where he met Precious. He remembers these years as fruitful. He would spend two to three months in Zimbabwe producing enough stock of wire motorbikes to take with him back to Port Elizabeth, where he would sell all his stock within less than a month.

Misfortune struck, however, when Chiteura first experienced the effects of xenophobia in South Africa. In the middle of the night, after being robbed and threatened by certain jealous individuals, Chiteura was forced to flee his home with only the clothes he was wearing and minimal possessions.

In 2004 Chiteura arrived in Cape Town, where he worked for a pittance in the craft industry, at a cooperative. Upon leaving this craft cooperative, he struggled to gain access to the right trade markets, as his diligence and expertise made him a threat to his former employers in a highly competitive industry.

In 2007, Chiteura began working with African Home, a collaboration that has opened up a world of opportunity. Chiteura has come to recognize his rights as a crafter, and the values of fair trade that contrast with previous models of exploitation. His dedication to the mission of African Home results in high quality and reliability.

Chiteura’s first order from African Home was for his beaded frogs and fridge magnets. He was able to deliver this order a week earlier than expected, an impressive achievement in an industry where crafters sometimes work through the night to meet stressful deadlines. Recently, Chiteura worked solidly for four months and learned a great deal through his first large order from Ten Thousand Villages. He is delighted by the support, and by the opportunity to be working on a second large order for such a well-established organization.

Chiteura’s taste of success did not guarantee plain sailing for him or for his community.
The recent xenophobic attacks throughout the country were yet another low point for Chiteura and his now established team. Once again his home was invaded and vandalized, and this time his materials were stolen and a large part of his finished crafts destroyed.

Despite the low ebbs in his life, however, Chiteura perseveres with his projects with the reassurance that he has an ever-expanding support system in his endeavors. He is a cherished member of African Home.

Claudette Davis
Director, African Home

The name of Guatemalan artisan group UPAVIM (“Unidas Para Vivir Mejor”) translates as “United to Live Better”—an aspiration its artisans can attest to from the experiences of their own lives.

Founded in 1989 in the marginal community of La Esperanza on the outskirts of Guatemala City, UPAVIM is a women’s cooperative organized to offer much-needed health and educational services to residents who had fled from Guatemala’s civil war and overpopulation in the capital city. Since then, the organization has grown to include income generation programs, including handicraft training and production, a bakery, a soy product production, medical clinic, pharmacy, medical laboratory, growth monitoring program and tutoring program for families with limited choices. UPAVIM’s Children’s Center offers a nursery and daycare for young children, a Montessori school for grades one through six, as well as a vocational apprenticeship program for 14- to 18-year-old girls.

“UPAVIM is providing critical income opportunities in a neighborhood that offers very few options for women with children,” reported Doug Lapp, buyer for Latin America. “Their childcare and schooling programs allow the artisans to work without worrying about their children’s safety, while also providing an above average learning program. Our purchases provide direct benefits to the artisans, while also helping to support UPAVIM’s valuable community social programs.”

Liliana Perez
Liliana Perez has worked as a weaver at UPAVIM for the past seven years, creating hand-loomed home decor items and accessories sold by Ten Thousand Villages. Perez also works in the UPAVIM bakery, and volunteers with the organization’s board of directors. Widowed when her husband was assassinated seven years ago, Perez learned about UPAVIM from a neighbor. Caring for four children and also pregnant, life was a struggle for her: “I used to work with a machine, leaving at 5:00 in the morning and coming back home at 8:00 at night,” recalled Perez. She left her children in the care of a neighbor.

UPAVIM has made a great difference in Perez’s life. “This work has really helped to elevate my self-esteem, and to know as a woman that I can earn income and be able to meet whatever goal is set in front of me.” Perez described her ability to maintain her family, as well as the opportunity to learn English, design, accounting and administration.

Most critical, though, was the health care provided to her son, Juan Fernando, born only months after her husband’s death. “When my youngest child, Juan Fernando, was nine months old, he had a stroke and was left incapacitated on the left side of his body. He began to have seizures. I was very sad and worried due to his illness.” Through the UPAVIM medical clinic, Perez was able to have Juan tested, something she could not have afforded on her own. He was also able to enter a rehabilitation center, where he eventually learned to walk. “Now he is a very active child, and he is in first grade at the UPAVIM school!” reported Perez. “Thank you for the help that you have given.”

Tirza Morales
Tirza Morales has been a weaver and a driver at UPAVIM for eight years. She also volunteers as treasurer of the artisan program. Morales has two children, 14 and 7, and her husband works as a taxi driver. For her, the opportunities provided by UPAVIM are most significant with respect to her children. “I used to leave my son with my mom, but he wasn’t accustomed to being alone with her. In his first year [at the UPAVIM school, when he was 6] he learned how to read and write, as well as other things.” She also values the ability to work on orders from her home, to be closer to her children.

Morales also experiences benefits herself. “I like to have value as a woman, and to maintain my self-esteem. No my life is much better economically. I can provide studies for my children, and we are looking for our own home. Thank you to Ten Thousand Villages for purchasing our handicrafts.”

Mary Njeri Njogu, an artisan with Jacaranda Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, is one of 25 artisans with disabilities working with the organization. With few other opportunities, these artisans have been able to access training and a stable income through their work with Jacaranda.

Born in 1969 in Wangige village near Nairobi, Njogu was delayed in her early speech and motor development. Her parents became alarmed, and took her to a nearby hospital. They were shocked to learn that their daughter was not only intellectually challenged, but also had physical disability affecting the entire left side of her body.

Njogu started school in 1977, dropping out in 1985 after failing to go beyond third grade. She was then enrolled at Jacaranda Special School, precursor of the Jacaranda Workshop, in 1986 and later joined the workshop in October 1992. She has been a very fast learner, reported Jacaranda Director Wycliffe Wafula, particularly in the skill of rolling ceramic beads. Njogu has now added a wide variety of skills, including shaping brass wire, assembling necklaces and packing of products, to her repertoire.

In another field of accomplishment, Njogu represented Kenya at the Special Olympics held in the United States in 1995, competing in the 100 meter sprint and in volleyball.

Njogu has an 11-year-old son for whom she is the sole support. As a single mother, her income from Jacaranda Workshop is her only source of income. “She is always smiling, and is among the top six best artisans,” said Wafula. With no formal education certificate, finding a job elsewhere has been a challenge for Njogu, and she sees Jacaranda as wonderful opportunity to earn a living.

We often ask what “fair trade” actually means in lives of artisans. The women of Batsiranai, an organization in Harare, Zimbabwe, with which Ten Thousand Villages has recently initiated a trade relationship, are better able to face the challenges of caring for children with disabilities because of their income through fair trade. Batsiranai, translated “helping each other,” supports mothers with severely disabled children. In addition to living with extreme poverty, these families often suffer from stigma related to local beliefs regarding the origins of disabilities.

One of Batsiranai’s artisans is Mai Faith, who supports eight children through her earnings from the doll-making project. Here a volunteer with Batsiranai describes a recent example of Faith’s generosity.

On arrival yesterday morning, I noticed a half- open suitcase on the floor in the crowded and chaotic doll-making workroom and had fleeting thoughts: "That is strange, as the women don't really own suitcases, and it looks like it is full of clothing." With the numerous tasks at hand this thought was forgotten. At closing time, Mai Faith asked to have a lift to her home, which I pass on my way to the main road. While I was waiting impatiently in the driver's seat, Mai Faith appeared with the suitcase, a baby highchair, a gaggle of orphaned children she cares for and a baby in her arms. I was a bit annoyed, as I was late for an appointment and it took some time to sort out where to put all these belongings and people in my little car. Off we sped, and 50-year- old Mai Faith tapped my shoulder and quietly said, “I have a new baby." I looked over my shoulder and my eyes met 10-month-old Rudo, a very disabled little girl with cerebral palsy.

Mai Faith, who already has seven children living with her in an extremely crowded two-room home, has just added Rudo to her family. When Rudo was born less than a year ago, her mother fled the hospital, abandoning her. Very little is known about Rudo except that she is extremely disabled, unwanted and alone. So yesterday, Mai Faith added Rudo to her rambuctious family. Little Rudo is no longer alone, no longer unwanted , but is the newest member of a large loving family living in Dzivarasekwa, a neighborhood in Harare, with capable Mai Faith as the matriarch. Mai Faith's eight-member family lives on her modest earnings from her doll-making at Batsiranai. What enormous goodness can spring forth for those who have so little except for a very kind heart.

Daily Challenge
The women of Batsiranai face considerable challenges on a daily basis. After nearly three decades of rule by President Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe is facing an economy in ruins, with the world’s highest inflation rate. Poverty and unemployment are endemic, and severe food shortages cause major hardship. Failed attempts to form an inclusive government following a September 15 power-sharing agreement between Mugabe and the prime minister designate, Morgan Tsvangirai, perpetuate Zimbabwe’s political chaos.

Even in the midst of this very difficult situation, Batsiranai artisans have risen above many obstacles to manage a thriving program. Sales of the “Twin Doll” introduced in Ten Thousand Villages stores make an immeasurable difference in their lives, say the women of Batsiranai.

With the goal of sustaining wood sources as well as artisans, Mitra Bali, an artisan group based in Bali, Indonesia, has established an innovative tree planting program. “Our goal is to protect the environment, and to protect artisans from becoming landless,” said Agung Alit, Mitra Bali director.

Over the past four years, Mitra Bali’s program has replanted trees that are used for wood carvings and other wood items created by artisans. Types of trees used by artisans include albesia, mahogany, jack fruit and suar. Albesia is a fast-growing tree, while the others take more than 10 years to mature.

A unique aspect of this initiative is that the land used to replant the trees is rented from artisans themselves, often artisans who are facing serious financial problems. “In order to prevent artisans from selling their land, we suggested to them that their land [could be used] as a plantation,” said Alit. “This is a good way [for them] to overcome their financial problems, because by planting the trees artisans earn both a rental fee as well as a percentage of the price when the trees are harvested.”

Many small farmers in Bali are unable to pay the tax on their land, which causes them significant difficulty. This is actually the reason that many become craftsmen, said Alit. Fair trade income from handicrafts provides farmers with another source of income, and the ability to keep their land. Trees in the replanting program are tended by Mitra Bali staff, along with artisans on whose land they are planted. The actual planting takes place each year on World Fair Trade Day.

Alit pointed out that many small farmers in Bali are losing their land. The farmers’ beautiful rice terraces have been a significant draw for tourism, but there is a problem of unfair distribution, said Alit. “Bali became famous for their rice terraces, but the farmers were only an object of photography,” he said. Farmers do not receive support from the government or other stakeholders in the tourism industry, such as hotels and restaurants, and they face high taxes and operating costs. Therefore many are forced to sell their land.

Mitra Bali’s tree planting initiative is firmly grounded in their practice of fair trade, and aligned with international practice. Alit cited the 10 fair trade principles as outlined by the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT), pointing out that they clearly state the importance of better environmental practices and the application of responsible methods of production. “We have to show the public that fair trade is a good alternative in business—not just profit oriented, but also happiness and welfare oriented,” said Alit. “Our tree planting program is a very important program for our planet and for people—both ecologically and economically. Small but big changes!”

In August 2008, Ten Thousand Villages introduced a new line of shea butter personal care products created by artisans in Ghana. Bar soaps from All Pure Nature Ventures, and body cream from El Agbe Company Limited are made with local shea butter—processed from shea nuts and believed to have a wide range of health promotion and healing benefits. For generations, people in West Africa have used shea butter to moisturize and protect skin, to treat eczema and sunburn, as an anti-inflammatory and even as cooking oil.

“I wanted to start with the earth,” said All Pure Nature founder Gladys Commey of her motivation in starting the company. In developing her line of body care products, Commey sought to use only eco-friendly, biodegradable ingredients. The shea butter is combined with herbs and essential oils; All Pure Nature’s products, including the soaps, contain no artificial ingredients.

Comfort Akorfa Adjahoe, founder of Ele Agbe, explained that processing shea is a lengthy, multi-step process. After harvesting, the nuts must be sorted to remove moldy and insect-infested nuts, as well as any other organic materials. After this, the nuts are washed, cracked and roasted for one to two hours. The roasted nuts are put through a grinder, after which the mass must be kneaded, either by hand or with a mixer. This paste is then boiled, with some water added to help the oil separate from the solids. This “butter” is skimmed off and churned or stirred until it congeals. The shea butter is then ready for use in producing soap, body cream and other products.

Both All Pure Nature and Ele Agbe provide valuable employment in Ghana. Commey works with a group of women in the north of Ghana who harvest and process the shea nuts. She is also training these women to make the soap itself, which will provide them with additional valuable income.

Ele Agbe also works with women in northern Ghana, through the Christan Mothers Association. The association, established in 1960, helps single mothers, women whose husbands have died or who abandoned their families. El Agbe employs approximately 60 women, providing vital income for women supporting their families alone.

“There is nothing in the world like helping to put up the first wall in your own home,” said Jessi Graham, a volunteer with Ten Thousand Villages in Fort Collins, Colo. Graham was awarded a Habitat for Humanity house in 2007. Required to put in “sweat equity” hours, Graham worked with a variety of people willing to help make her home a reality. “I couldn’t count how many people helped build the house—hundreds probably,” she said.

And on April 18, 2008, Ten Thousand Villages became part of that story. John Merritt, Wendy White, Linda Conte and Piper Aune, three volunteers and one board member from the Fort Collins store, drove to the worksite in Denver to paint, caulk and hammer.

“John and Wendy are regular Habitat volunteers,” said Jane Snyder, volunteer coordinator at Ten Thousand Villages in Fort Collins. “When Wendy learned that Jessi was awarded a Habitat house, she suggested we organize a Ten Thousand Villages day of building. I had a conflict with my schedule, but my heart was there for sure.”

Graham’s home was nearing completion when the group arrived, but there was still plenty of work to be done. “The weather was typical Colorado,” said Merritt. “It was clear, sunny, a slight breeze … a gorgeous day. We got to whale away with hammers on a shed foundation, and we all had a good time doing everything asked of us. The smell of paint, lumber, sweat, fumes from generators—they all combined with the visual and aural to make a kaleidoscopic feast for the senses. If you can’t enjoy all that, and feel good about working hard and being a participant in a worthy cause, well, you just aren’t living, are you?”

“Habitat is a wonderful experience no matter who the home is for,” noted White. “But to actually have some other connection with the home owner made the experience all the more fulfilling and worthwhile.”

Graham began volunteering at Fort Collins in 2005 after hearing a college classmate give a speech on Ten Thousand Villages. “I went in one day to shop and fell in love,” Graham said. “I like the concept of it: ‘Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, teach him to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.’”

“Jessi is amazing,” said Snyder. “She is animated, tireless and very funny. I love all her stories. In short, to know her is to love her.”

“Strange and wonderful things happen at our store every day,” Snyder continued. “Jessi had a similar experience: inadvertently she expanded her support system at a critical time in her life, and found a huge fan club here at Ten Thousand Villages in Fort Collins. Our interest in volunteers doesn’t begin and end with their time in the shop. We support them through the events of their lives.”

Graham moved into her three-bedroom home with her son and daughter on June 22, 2008. “I had never worked with these volunteers at the store [the volunteers work a variety of shifts], and the fact that they were willing to give up a day and help build my home is incredible. They are really great people with good hearts.”

Donna Stoltzfus
Visual Merchandising Assistant Designer