It's beginning to look a lot like christmas, everywhere you go!
We all know that Santa's coming,
Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be light From now on our troubles will be out of sight,
And Santa Claus is coming to town!
and all that jazz...
Okay, I just merged a few Christmas Carols there, in order to get you all ready for Oxfam's Christmas Catalogue!
We have said to buy experiences, not things as gifts, however if you have to buy something, buy something sustainable! Vote with your dollar, and know where your money is going. The Oxfam Catalogue is full of sustainable, fair trade items and the money goes back to the people who made the products. There are so many beautiful things in the catalogue as well!
Here's just a few great items from the catalogue:
3 White-washed Terracotta Elephant Herb Planters
CORR-The Jute Works began its journey in 1973 with a special mission to rehabilitate war-affected poor rural women of Bangladesh. This rehabilitation was to be achieved by providing the women with opportunities for economic independence by producing handcrafted items out of the locally available raw material 'jute'.
Handwoven hemp cushion cover with pink flower
Craftlink is a non-profit organization that was set up by a group of international NGOs to help artisans, which were left out of economic progress in Vietnam. The organization saw that they could help these artisans help themselves, by assisting them to develop their skills, organizing them into production groups and giving providing them with access to markets to sell their handicrafts. Craftlink organizes export sales to buyers around the world, as well as operating a shop in Hanoi.
World Map Notebook
Noah’s Ark began as a single-room workshop in a family home in Moradabad, and has now grown into a successful fair-trade marketing organisation, working with approximately 40 artisan groups and over 300 artisans across India. The organisation was created in 1986 by Samuel Masih, who was determined to help artisans become self-sustainable after he learnt about their exploitation by middlemen and exporters.
Kisii Stone Tealight Holder, Teal Elephant
Bosinange Jua Kali Soapstone is a private limited group that deals with soapstone carvings handcrafted by Kisii artisans and sold locally and internationally to help them alleviate poverty and improve their livelihoods. Kisii town and district is located in an agriculturally rich area of south-western Kenya. Soapstone quarrying takes place near the town. Bosinange is a village where the group is based and Jua Kali is a Swahili word which means the products are hand made and not machine made.
What's great is that you can see the people who made it and exactly where your money is going!
Check out the entire catalogue here: Oxfam Christmas Catalogue