The Impact of Fair Trade on an Artisan and their Family

Not entirely unlike a lot of our western-based businesses, a little momentum can really facilitate change in the life of an artisan. The family unit is very strong in most of these countries and, what may have been a very small single artisan business can be accelerated at a strong rate if there are consistent, repeat orders that come their way.

Is the difference huge? Well, when a company like ours, Global Village, works with small artisans, it's not huge, but it might be the difference to allow that artisan to employ his brother or brother-in-law, either full time or part time. Even part-time opportunities are meaningful in these countries, so, if we are working with an individual or a small cooperative, you’re talking about usually the ability to involve more of their family in the business. More family in the business, leads to a higher, collective standard of living.

One of the families that makes our pottery, the Sanchez family, is very much that way. It was the parents' business and was passed on to the six brothers and sisters who have since carried it on. Each family member has a principal task. The individual's focus may be throwing the clay, painting, or polishing on the final finish that gives each piece its glow. They each have a specialty and, as the business grows, it allows them to be able to support more of their family or even to help others in the community find employment by bringing in some outside help if they need it.

Even some things we take for granted, like packaging an order, can provide meaningful employment in a third world country. We bought a few hundred pieces of pottery and, to properly package pottery, you need to employ people to get newspaper and thoroughly wrap it around every single piece. The value of purchasing fair trade items created in a developing country doesn't just benefit the artisan; the value extends to a network of people involved in shipping, transportation, and packaging. An artisan who is successful at developing a market for his wares will have a domino effect on others in his community.

Still, the most direct impact certainly is on the artisan's immediate family. I met a man while I was in Nicaragua. He and his family and other generations of his family all lived very simply in a one room cinderblock house. Coming off the side of their house was a corrugated metal roof, and, underneath that metal roof, were three potter wheels set up to throw pottery. In their backyard, they had a relatively rudimentary brick kiln that the pottery would get fired in. While we were there, I was able to witness the results of his "success". He was expanding some of his pottery-producing capabilities to be able to train others in this community to come in and have this skill. They were also adding other elements to be able to allow more from the community to come in and be trained in how to make pottery.

This family lives in a part of Nicaragua known for superior quality pottery. In fact, some of his work has been on display in some famous galleries and museums. When you see where this museum-quality pottery is being shaped, you realize success is measured very differently in a third world country. You'd think that kind of visibility would bring more "traditional" success to these families, but it really is a much longer road to success in a third world country. They need people to purchase their products, not just people to admire the quality and artistry of their pieces.

Just something to think about the next time you see beautiful pottery from a third world artisan. Admire it for its beauty; buy it for its ability to change the artisan's life.