Archive for September, 2009
Making Fair Trade Fair for all
My recent visit to South Africa provided me with a number of opportunities to meet those involved and those wishing to become involved in the South African fair trade movement. Whilst in Johannesburg and Cape Town the Shared Interest Foundation ran a number of training days giving those interested in learning more about fair trade [...]
Initial thoughts of Fair Trade in South Africa
My last visit to South Africa was over ten years ago and involved me spending four out of five weeks of my visit there in a compound house with the family friend I was staying with during my school summer holidays when I was sixteen. The other week was spent in Kruger Park witnessing the [...]
Share Capital Tops £26 Million!
On Friday, Shared Interest staff got together for a wee celebratory drink and nibbles to mark that fact that our share capital topped the £26 million mark.
Paul Sharpe, our Supporter Relations Manager, emailed staff from his work trip in Kenya to say,“thank you to everyone for their contribution in meeting our target for this year. [...]
From Sandstorms to Soapstone
After a night of less than fitful sleep, our first meeting of the day was with Jim from Smorlat who kindly drove to us first so that we could follow him to their location. I say kindly, because the road was quite unbelievably worse than the day before, with barely any suspension left on the [...]
A storm in a Tea Cup – with a Sausage or a Samosa?
We left Nairobi in the morning to head for Kissii, around 400km South West of the capital. This was my first experience of driving in Kenya, and it’s safe to say that my skills were tested along the way!
Our journey took us through some incredible scenery, including a quick stop at a viewpoint to admire [...]
Spotlight on Fairtrade Businesses – By Hand
Each week, Shared Interest will highlight a business who is activiely promoting Fairtrade in their community. This blog post does not imply endorsement by Shared Interest. Please contact us if you would like the ’spotlight’ on your company.
is based on a simple premise: Beautiful products should not come at the cost of exploitation.
Founded [...]
Standing Shoulder to Shoulder
Visiting Bega Kwa Bega couldn’t have been more different than this morning spent in Nairobi. We headed out to the Kariobangi district, which is a slum very much like the ones where Undugu may find children seeking an education.
A slum in photographs or on the TV cannot prepare you for the sights, sounds and smells [...]
Shared Interest Welcomes New Employee
Raquel Lee Vargas is our new Assistant Administrator and will be providing administrative support to Hugo Villela, our Regional Development Executive who heads up our office in Costa Rica.
A Bungalow housing brilliant but humble beginnings
Undugu is a Kiswahili word for solidarity and brotherhood. Undugu Society of Kenya, located in Nairobi, addresses the needs of the urban poor, with the goal of defending the rights and welfare of children in special circumstances. Undugu touches thousands of underprivileged Kenyans through small enterprise development, informal skills training, affordable shelter, job creation and health programs. Undugu also provides food, shelter, education and rehabilitation for street children. Undugu works with artisans in Kisii, Turkana, Machakos and Nairobi to market their stone carvings, baskets and other handicrafts.
Wear Fair
People and Planet, the UK’s largest student network, are urging more education institutions to deal ethically with producers. Their campaign ‘Wear Fair’ calls for students to encourage their schools, colleges and univerisites to source fairtrade cotton uniforms. Also as part of their campaign, they will be targeting a major supermarket retailer to increase the pressure [...]