African Home

African Home offers a range of traditional African products ranging from home décor to functional home ware as well as gifts and accessories, based on the finest aesthetic and artistic traditional workmanship. Marketing these products while developing new products creates work for disadvantaged communities with high levels of unemployment. African Home maintains and practices a strong commitment to environmental awareness. Accordingly, all materials used in their products are consistent with, and promoting of, the sustainability of the natural resources of South Africa. For example, the wood they use is sourced from fallen trees within sustainable forests or driftwood. Many natural and local products are used, such as reeds, weeds, clay, paper and wire.

African Home is a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO).

This Matzah cover (15.7 x 16 inches) is made of organza and embroidered with Pesach symbols. It is available in white with silver embroidery or cream with shiny cream embroidery. Made by a community project in Woodstock, South Africa.

For wholesale orders, contact ilana@fairtradejudaica.org.
Claudette Davis +27(0)21-551-1052 +27(0)83-650-1985 claudette@africanhome.co.za www.africanhome.co.za/relijewi.htm

Mayan Hands

Mayan Hands is a small fair trade organization that has been working with Mayan weavers since 1989. They work with more than 275 women, organized in groups of 12 to 50 women, living in twelve different communities throughout Guatemala.

Mayan Hands' mission is to assist these women in their quest to raise themselves out of poverty. Working with fair trade, the women can count on a modest, and just as important, a regular income that enables their families to eat better, send their children to school, improve their homes and even save a little. Selling their handwoven textiles at a fair price, the women are gaining control over their lives. In addition to assisting the weavers with technical difficulties, design of new products, credit to buy equipment and raw materials, and simply providing work on a steady basis (our main focus), Mayan Hands purchases school supplies for all of the weavers' school-age children (almost 400).

Mayan Hands is a proud member of the Fair Trade Federation (FTF).

These matzah covers are each a work of naif art, featuring a fully embroidered scene of the life of Moses (e.g. Moses rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, Moses at the burning bush, striking the rock, with the Tablets of the law. The embroidered scene is then sewn upon a piece of handwoven cloth (the back cloth is handwoven too, in the renowned jaspe technique of Maya weaving), has a decorative golden cord around it, and the three required pockets.

Products can be purchased on-line at shop.mayanhands.org or by contacting Mayan Hands directly.
Mary Joan Ferrara-Marsland 9607 Dr. Perry Rd. Suite #114 Ijamsville, MD 21754 Phone:(301) 515-5911 Fax: (240) 436-6453 info@upavim-mayanhands.org www.mayanhands.org

Photos L to R: African Home, Global Goods Partners, Mayan Hands
Copyright © 2007 - 2010 Ilana Schatz and David Lingren. All rights reserved.