And the results of the contest to Rwanda are...

I didn't make it into the top 7, but, BUT, I never left the front page of the contest!!!
That might not seem like much, but some of these women are HUGE bloggers that I have followed for years with 7,000+ followers on Instagram alone and hundreds of comments on every blog post, so I am amazingly impressed with all of YOU and your determination to see me win!

My number stayed at about #15 the entire time and I would just smile and smile when I saw where I was. It spoke of your faithfulness and consistency in spreading the word and voting every single day for two weeks solid. You guys are rock stars! Because 15 out of 400? Seriously amazing!!! And you guys voted 2,521 times for me!!!

Did I want to win? Of course I did. Am I a little sad I'm not in the top 7? 
Sure, but what I got instead was way better than a chance at a trip to Africa.

When I shared with Craig where I was in Noonday's #styleforjustice trip and how encouraged I was by all of you, he said, "It testifies to the genuine community you have around you, doesn't it?" And nothing could be truer. You all sincerely care about me, my family, and the things I'm passionate about. That leaves me humbled and in awe of all of you. Thank you for your support. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I am a winner because of what this contest showed me about the people I surround myself with and how much you care. Cheesy as it may sound, that was the best part of all of this for me. Every night I went to bed overwhelmed because YOU shared and voted and shared and voted and kept on sharing and voting until the very last moment. You believed in me. And that is something to celebrate!

So, where does that leave me and 

what am I taking away from all of this?

-I am JUST as passionate about fair trade and fair wages.

-I'm dreaming about a trip to advocate for fair wages next summer  

(Don't worry. It won't involve voting!).

-I want my community to learn more about what this trip was REALLY all about, for me.

So, grab some coffee and settle in to hear my heart, be challenged a little and learn how EASY it truly is to make a difference in another person's life through fair trade. 

Fair trade. Fair wages. Ethical working conditions. They are all terms that are easily thrown around, but maybe not as easy to understand. Basically, fair trade is a movement that seeks to improve the working conditions, practices and wages for people in other nations that export goods. Common fair trade items are coffee, bananas, sugar, chocolate and my favorite, hand-made goods, aka clothes and jewelry.

That is what fair trade is, so why is that important and how can one fair trade purchase make a difference? There are many economic, environmental, and social explanations that can be given and you can do further research by reading about it here and here, but I think it is easiest explained through my visit to two fair trade workshops.

 

While we were adopting Andrew and Simon in Uganda, we visited two different fair trade workshops: Sseko Designs and One Mango Tree in Kampala. I was already a fan of their work and owned several items from both companies, as a way to connect with my new sons' country before they were a part of our family. (I wrote about our trip to deliver 50 pounds of white canvas to Sseko here.) Walking through the front gate of each workshop felt like walking on sacred ground. I was ecstatic and no amount of crying or fussing from our two new sons could take away the joy I felt as we started our tour. We took photos and video (which Craig is going to start editing together soon) and just smiled and smiled (are you noticing a theme?) as we were shown each new phase of the production process. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience to actually shake hands with the women who handcrafted the shoes I had on my feet and the dresses I wore. There was a life behind the garment I clothed myself with and that became extremely powerful in my mind.

Seeing the actual products being made while we walked through the workshop and knowing that the working conditions I was seeing where the actual ones I saw advertised on their website was a validation that these companies were indeed helping. They didn't clean up because some random American visitors were walking through their workshop that day. What we saw was the genuine thing and I felt good that my purchase was giving an opportunity for these young ladies that I met to go to college, and make a different life for themselves in a male dominated society. It was such a powerful reminder that I could no longer look at a garment I put on my body and not think about the person who made it, the family they supported, and the community they impacted. My Instagram is filled with hashtags and links to the fair trade items I wear, because I remember the faces of these ladies, and I want others to help support artisans earning a liveable wage to bring themselves and their families out of poverty.

Writing all of this down for you all has made me realize that, in a way, this experience would be very similiar to the type of trip I was trying to win with Noonday to Rwanda. Meeting the artisans and telling their stories, which is exactly what I am doing now. Full circle, huh? I guess all I needed to do was blog about it.


What can you do? I'm so glad you asked!!! I just so happen to have some fair trade items I picked up in Uganda while we were there AND I am going to sell them to YOU! All of the money made will go to International Justice Mission, one of the sponsors of the trip to Rwanda, whose mission is to protect the poor from violence. Doesn't that seem like a fitting close to this contest? Raising money to support justice around the world? I think so!

Our adoptions shirts (3 L only), $20 :: Paper-bead necklaces, $20 :: Fabric clutches, $15 :: Paper-bead bracelets, $7 :: Fabric headbands, $5 :: Wooden key chains, $5

Want an item pictured? Simply PayPal the money to justcallmesparkle@hotmail.com with a note about which item you want, include an extra $2 for shipping if you are out of state, and it is yours! (I'll also be posting pictures to Instagram and Facebook to sell as well.) You will be the PROUD new owner of an awesome FAIR TRADE item, and a story to share with others every time you have it on or with you about this crazy girl you know who tried to win a trip to Rwanda. Cool, right? 

And if you just want to donate to International Justice Mission, do it! They are amazing advocates for the oppressed around the world. 

 

But what about other fair trade companies? You ask great questions! The other thing you can do is to start purchasing things yourself from fair trade companies! Here are some of my favorites and I know you will find one you love. Will you share with me what strikes your fancy and what you bought? I would love, love, LOVE to hear!!!

-Sseko Designs (Uganda)

-One Mango Tree (Uganda)

-31 Bits (Uganda)

-Mata Traders (India)

-Marketplace India (India)

-Sole Rebel (Ethiopia)

-Noonday Collection (World)

-The Hunger Site (World hunger)

-Sevenly (Various weekly causes)

-Fed by Threads (US hunger)


There are many, many others, so start looking! Educate yourself and decide to start making conscientious choices about what you are purchasing and how that affects the world around you. 
You can make a difference. One purchase at a time.

After hugging the necks of the women who made the sandals and dresses I already loved, I could never look at a garment again without considering the person who made it, the family they supported and the community they impacted - See more at: http://review.wizehive.com/voting/view/noonday-publicvoting/23056/2106315/0#sthash.6WFTrrb4.dpuf

After hugging the necks of the women who made the sandals and dresses I already loved, I could never look at a garment again without considering the person who made it, the family they supported and the community they impacted. As an adoptive mom, I have been intimately impacted by the pain of poverty and scarce opportunities many women around the world struggle through. - See more at: http://review.wizehive.com/voting/view/noonday-publicvoting/23056/2106315/0#sthash.6WFTrrb4.dpuf

After hugging the necks of the women who made the sandals and dresses I already loved, I could never look at a garment again without considering the person who made it, the family they supported and the community they impacted. As an adoptive mom, I have been intimately impacted by the pain of poverty and scarce opportunities many women around the world struggle through. - See more at: http://review.wizehive.com/voting/view/noonday-publicvoting/23056/2106315/0#sthash.6WFTrrb4.dpuf