It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Flowers are blooming and the warmth of the sun has awakened the soul from hibernation. Welcome this sweet season of love, light, and life, by adding essential spring pieces to your closet and replacing old, worn out, and unfashionable items with stylish and classic items that will impact women’s lives globally. Here is how you can simultaneously help them and spoil yourself, realize that you have the agency and buying power to buy handmade and fair trade, then shop from our essential spring collection… And there you have it! The promotion of social change from home.  

Spring is the freshest of the seasons. We get to experience sunlight and fresh air after a brutal winter, so why not people-watch in the park and take in fresh air while you journal away in our small recycled newspaper journal because you are a conscious shopper and care about the earth! The small recycled newspaper journal is handcrafted by Friends International our artisan partner in Cambodia, supporting hundreds of street children to go to school.

 

Also, the Bolga basket tote is essential for weekend getaways and picnics with friends. The weaving of traditional Bolga Baskets is a major source of livelihood for women in the Bolgatanga region of Ghana where 90% of the people live below the poverty line.

However, don’t forget to complement your spring look with colorful, beaded, and geometric jewelry designs such as our fair trade gold rod earrings and grey leather cuff, handcrafted by displaced Malian people in refugee camps in Burkina Faso.

  

To celebrate that spring is in the air, purchase fair trade felt lotus flowers handmade by women in Nepal, and with Easter around the corner, you can remind a loved on how much you appreciate them by giving them a Mini Alpaca Bunny made from soft Peruvian alpaca yarn and knit with lots of love. Your purchase can help provide artisan jobs to women in rural areas in addition to campaigning for women’s sexual, reproductive, political, social, and economic rights. Shop our essential spring pieces to brighten up your closet!

 

 

 

 

It’s the most wonderful day of the year. Birds are chirping, the patriarchy is trembling, and across the globe, women are supporting women. Get involved this #IWD2017. We'll show you how…

 

1. It’s as easy as getting around one another.

Your girl started a side business? Buy her pottery! Your bestie posted a real Instagram about her feelings and struggles? Comment with some love. Your coworker got a promotion? Buy that girl a drink. It’s about building up, not tearing down.

 

2. Or reading a book.

Tote a good book around like a trophy… Broaden your horizons and use that knowledge as a beacon for others.

Top picks: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, is her story of standing up for a right to education in Pakistan and surviving backlash from the violent patriarchy. What Will It Take To Make A Woman President? by Marianne Schnall, is the ultimate interview and essay encouragement you need. Even Beyoncé said, “They will inspire you to become a better leader.”

 

3. And showing your appreciation.

Ever heard the term, “a little goes a long way”? In the time it takes to whisper-read “women’s economic empowerment”, you can definitely think of some strong women who have helped you out along the way.

Speaking of, did you know you can donate on her behalf? That way, every step taken to empower women with the independence of employment will be in her honor. (Well, that’s cool.)

4. You can shop for change, too.

Now, more than ever, retailers are transparent about their behind-the-scenes so get alongside some badass lady-led organizations who are actively helping women.

Shop products that are designed by women, made for women and benefit women around the world.

5. Join forces.

Start a group text to feed off each other’s good days and be there for the bad ones; get your girls around for a “hygge” dinner and conversation; join others like Hey There Beautiful’s Celebrations or General Assembly’s Talks, or check out the Global Goods social life on Facebook, Instagram and our blog to be inspired.

Oh, and one more thing...

  

Photography: Seth Abel 

Ah, Valentine's Day... The day where, no matter what your relationship status, you have full authority to get cheesy with your loved ones. Whether you're spending the 14th with bae or Netflix, here at Global Goods, we want everyone to feel the love. So much so that we've made it easy to spread the warm and fuzzies with your dearest by creating your very own felt flower bouquets. Best of all, every flower carries a story of women in Nepal gaining a sustainable income because of your purchase.

Want to know how to give and give back? All you have to do is follow these five easy steps:

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 Pick out your arrangement from our felt flower collection.

 Set out all your flowers in a vase (free one on us!) so you have easy access to your stems.

 Start by making a small cluster of flowers. First with a focal flower (fair trade flower, large wildflowers and wildflowers), then add in some smaller flowers (calla lilies, zinnia) and top it off with small fillers (baby daisies).

 When you are satisfied with your bouquet, wrap ribbon or twine securely around the stems several times to add a special touch.

Gift someone special with this heartfelt bunch of forever-flowers. We recommend teaming them up with a pizza date or a thoughtful gift from our V-day collection for bonus schmooze points!

 

The holidays provide a much needed celebration and break for both the Global Goods team and our artisan partners around the world. We checked in with them to see how they're celebrating the festive season, and we love the way they party...

 

Craft Resource Center - India

In Kolkata, CRC has been growing rapidly over the past three years, but they've never stopped celebrating with their artisans during the festive season. The team at CRC love to chat together, enjoy meals, and invite artisans and staff to celebrate in picnics. Festivals like Eid, Durga puja and Christmas are celebrated together. Last year, in its annual picnic, CRC organized a "Fair Tree" Plantation Ceremony with its producer partners as a mark of adherence to the Tenth Fair Trade Principle, "Respect for the Environment".

Sasa Designs - Kenya

Sasa employs Kenyan women from the deaf community who would otherwise not have employment opportunities. As well as taking a two week break, almost all of the artisans travel "up country" to their rural homes to visit parents and family on the shamba (farm or plot of land where rural families live.) Holiday dishes include Nyama Choma (roast meat) and Pilau (a Swahili dish of rice, meat and spices.) Church services are full over the Christmas period, and Kenyans of all religions often head to the coast for New Years celebrations.

Silk Road Bazaar - Kyrgyzstan

New Years is a huge celebration in Kyrgyzstan! Silk Road Bazaar artisans spend it with their families and decorate the table with all sorts of fruits, candy, and breads. "We cover the table as much as possible with different sorts of food because we believe that if our New Year's Table is empty then the following year will be a bad year but if it is full and overflowing then the upcoming year will be full of good luck," says Andrew. This is what a Kyrgyz New Years table typically looks like - smiling people and lots of food!

Friends International - Cambodia

In Cambodia, December provides a rest period between November’s Water Festival, which celebrates the reversal of the flow in the Tonle Sap River, and New Years celebrations. This break leaves the artisans plenty of time to be well-rested and focus on creating their handmade, upcycled products so their customers can find the perfect last-minute gift!

Naguska - Peru

In the neighborhood of Manchay, the team at Naguska shared in a Christmas breakfast of delicious sweet bread and hot chocolate. The artisan knitters and their children met with Maria, the General Manager, as she shared the meaning of Christmas and how it can be personal to everyone. Maria gave presents to each child, who would otherwise receive nothing, and everyone enjoyed the breakfast treats together.

                  

Friends Handicraft - Nepal

Much like their 13th Anniversary and Teacher's Day celebrations, Friends Handicraft celebrate Christmas the Nepali way by throwing an annual picnic with their artisans and staff. Christmas is an exciting time of year in Nepal, with feasts, trees, decorations and concerts, always celebrated with loved ones.

Noah's Ark - India

The Noah's Ark team celebrated Christmas together, distributing gifts to their employees, workers and artisans. Afterwards, they shared a beautiful meal together with this stunning view of Moradabad.

Wakami: Kiej de los Bosques - Guatemala

Although some Guatemalans celebrate New Years on the Mayan calendar, it's always brought in with dancing, music, colorful costumes and fireworks. For Christmas, the table is full of traditional dishes, especially tamales in all different styles - rice, corn, potatoes, olives, prunes, peppers, chicken or pork. For families, a prayer is said around the Christmas tree and presents are opened soon after midnight. You can't forget to wish each other "Feliz Navidad!"

 

The Maasai, located in Tanzania and Kenya, are a community of nomadic peoples well known for their colorful dress and strikingly regal looks, and now more for their beautiful jewelry with leather and beaded designs. Traditionally, the community generates their income through livestock and farming, and they live peacefully amongst nature.

However, the women in the Maasai community are often faced with antiquated practices that have little place in the modern world. They have little to no access to education – in many cases they are actively prevented from learning - and many women are not taught Swahili, the national language of Tanzania. These women are therefore limited from participating in the broader social and economic fabric of society. Girls as young as twelve are forced into marriage without any hope of divorce of separation.

Sidai Designs aims to give agency back to these women by empowering them through education, skill-development and training, and ultimately financial independence. Sidai Designs, founded in 2011, is a non-profit organization that serves to the social and economic development of women of the Maasai community in and around Arusha in Tanzania. These women create stunning and unique jewelry using locally sourced and oftentimes recycled glass beads and materials. The artisans incorporate antique Maasai designs while also adding their own contemporary flare, creating a beautiful combination of old and new.