Venture Imports
Kisii Soapstone Carvers
Our new soapstone sculptures are made by the Tabaka cooperative artisans whopartner with Venture Imports. This cooperative in Kenya was established to
eradicate suffering and poverty in the Kisii region of Kenya. In a country where 70.7%live on less thanKisii Stone Round Couple $1.25/day and 80% on less than $2/day*, this opportunity is vital. They believe in empowering their artisans by providing fair wages for their members and marketing opportunities for their products outside of Kenya - even to the markets of Alaska!
The Tabaka cooperative, a group of soapstone carvers from the Kisii tribe, provides loans, product design and development assistance, and advanced payment for theirorders. The artisans are also provided with safety equipment and the opportunity to have health insurance. In addition, they offer basic training for youth who are interested in learning skills for their future.
Tabaka also provides a model for the community by encouraging women as well as men to get involved. The group saves 15% of their income to help orphans, widows, handicapped, elderly, and HIV/AIDS victims (currently, 6.3% of the population haveHIV^) whether or not they are part of the Tabaka cooperative. In this way, they directly benefit the community in addition to theeconomic activity they already create.
To see a view of Tabaka cooperative artisan working on soapstone sculpture, go to the YouTube link here.
*Source: World Bank, as presented on Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_percentage_of_population_living_in_poverty.
^Source: World Bank.
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Drumming Circle: Keeping the Beat
2nd & 4th Sundays
February 12 & 26
2 – 4 pm
Feel the beat! Join the drum circle every 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month from 2 - 4 pm. Jesse Wright, a great instructor and local drummer, leads the circle which is for all musical abilities from beginners to those of you who really know what you're doing. Bring your own drum or borrow one of the store's drum.
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Engineers Without Borders:
Alaska Sudan Medical Project
Tuesday, February 21
6 – 7 pm
In November 2007 Anchorage doctor Jack Hickel visited a remote village in southern Sudan with nurse Lori Gibbons. They we're in the village of Old Fangak at the invitation of Dr. Jill Seaman, a doctor who has been working in Sudan for over 20 years. What they found was even more desperate than they could have imagined. In just a ten day period Jack and Lori watched several villagers die from preventable diseases and malnutrition.
Dr. Jack Hickel came home to Alaska convinced that Alaskans can do something to help the people of Old Fangak. He gathered a group of friends together and formed the Alaska Sudan Medical Project.
Several years ago EWB-SCA helped with the design of the medical clinic in Old Fangak. We look forward to hearing from Jack and the ASMP Program Director, Jason Hahn. Follow this link for a video on ASMP recently done by National Geographic.
Engineers Without Borders (www.ewb-usa.org) is a national non-profit organization which helps create a more stable and prosperous world by addressing people's basic human needs by providing necessities such as clean water, power, sanitation and education.
All are welcome to attend the monthly meetings of EWB. For more information about the Southcentral chapter of EWB, contact Nancy Hibbert at nancyhibbert@gmail.com.
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Focus Group: FOOD
Wednesday, February 29
Ever wondered what the eighth wonder of the world is? The rice terraces in the Philippines, of course! A Fair Trade group, Eighth Wonder, sells heirloom gourmet rice variations that we'd like to carry. In fact, there quite a few Fair Trade food items that we are going to test out and we need your help! If you'd like to taste test and survey a selection of rice, quinoa, coffee, and a few other foodstuffs, become a member of our focus group.
This focus group meeting will be Wednesday, Feb. 29. If you're interested, give us a call at 929-5835 or send e-mail to store@grassrootsfairtrade.com.
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Millennium Development Goals
Countdown to 2015
End poverty by 2015. This is the historic promise 189 world leaders made at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 when they signed onto the Millennium Declaration and agreed to meete Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are an eight-point road map with measurable targets and clear deadlines for improving the lives of the world's poorest people:
- End Hunger
- Universal Education
- Gender Equity
- Child Health
- Maternal Health
- Combat HIV/AIDS
- Environmental Sustainability
- Global Partnership
Since we are just under three years away from the MDGs deadline, GrassRoots will further explain and report on one goal each month in order to find ways in which we can eradicate poverty. To find out more about the Millennium Development Goals right now, see: www.endpoverty2015.org.
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Change of Policy
Receipts & Returns
Unfortunately, due to an increased volume of theft, we are switching to a new return policy. For items bought this February and on, a receipt will be required for any exchanges or returns. For items bought previously under the former no-receipt-needed policy, we will do our best to honor exchanges and returns without a receipt. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we switch to this new system.
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