Our Values

Our Mission is to offer income-generating opportunities to craftspeople in developing countries by following fair trade practices including offering payment in advance for at least the market price for items, ensuring that craftspeople receive payment, and ensuring that the craftspeople work in fair working conditions. We work directly with artisans, craftspeople, and producer groups to achieve these goals and hopefully help improve the lives of some of the people with whom we share this planet.

We are committed to playing our part in protecting the environment. Development of recycled crafted items from our artisan partners is central to our strategy.

About us and Fairtrade

Ethical Treasures was launched in December 2008 with the aim of delivering ethical shopping to your fingertips. It is part of Global Crafts (Europe) Ltd, which was formed in June 2005 - an importer and wholesaler of Fairtrade crafted items.

We successfully applied to IFAT - the World Fair Trade Organisation, and was granted membership in November 2008 - an achievement of which we are very proud.

Karen Padbury
Director

Our Producer Partners

Around the world in Fair Trade Ways - From the ancient highlands of Chile to the rolling savannas of Kenya; From the exotic shores of Thailand to the exquisitely beautiful South Africa. We have developed long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with over 20 producer partners in disadvantaged communities around the globe; bringing together a unique collection of handcrafted and stunning creations. We continue to search the globe to maintain our unique ethical collection of beautifully crafted items to enthral and delight people of all ages.

We are privileged to work with such talented organisations that allow us to bring truly wonderful crafted items to the UK and beyond. Listed below is information on all of our artisan partners.

B & B Crafts (South Africa)

Ben Ncube started B & B Crafts & Recycling as an individual artisan working in the new South African tradition of making crafts from recycled materials, such as tin cans and discarded wire and incorporating beads in his designs. As the demand for the products he made grew, Ben, “the Can Man” started training apprentices in the art form, paying them a fair price for the products they produced. The training and production provides a sustainable income for a growing number of young people in Cape Town.

Caribbean Crafts (Haiti)

Founded in 1990 by a multinational group of young entrepreneurs, Caribbean Crafts promotes employment in Haiti by training unskilled - but often highly gifted - craftspeople, and by assisting the independent artisans through the introduction of new designs and new market outlets. Unemployment in Haiti, the poorest country of the American hemisphere, is variously estimated at between 60 and 80%.

The organisation has gone through rough times during the past years, marked by political troubles and economic difficulties including a 3-year long embargo on all Haitian exports. Caribbean Crafts had its premises totally ransacked in 1997 and then destroyed during gang violence. Relocated in a higher-security industrial park, the organisation currently employs 400 artisans either as salaried employees or outside contractors, with roughly equal numbers of men and women.

Caribbean Crafts specialty is the brightly coloured, artistically hand-painted home décor objects such as wall hangings. The natural artistic talents of the Haitians are well known, and many of these hand-painted pieces are truly works of art.

Community Friendly Movement (India)

CFM, Community Friendly Movement is a social enterprise based out of New Delhi, India whose mission is to create income for its primary stakeholders, artisan communities in rural India, by working directly with the community, reducing the number of levels in the chain, and increasing the sustainable income of the individual.

In addition to international marketing support, CFM trains groups on the importance of quality, enabling producers to create high quality, internationally-marketable goods. Producers range from individual entrepreneurs, to womens groups, to community development organisations who implement projects to help improve the lives of street children.

Comparte (Chile)

COMPARTE (Comercializadora de Productos Artesanales Exportables) is a non-profit organisation that exports Chilean handicrafts around the world. As members of IFAT, Comparte’s mission is to improve the standard of living for owners and employees of Chilean handicraft workshops, by promoting and exporting various handmade products of the highest quality, while supporting these same artisans through technical and product development assistance programmes. Purchasing COMPARTE products helps improve the living conditions of their artisans and craftsmen by paying fair prices and stimulating justice in the workplace of the developing world.

The artisans often work from their homes. In some cases adult children work alongside their parents while younger children attend school. Comparte products include enameled copper earrings; fused glass earrings pendants and bracelets; articulated wooden pens, fish, snakes and dinosaurs and fused glass plates.

Esther Kariuki (Kenya)

Esther Kariuki is an independent artisan who, in her area of Kenya, near Kitui, has organised and trained women in her village to use the dried fibre of the banana plant, which would normally be discarded. The banana fibre is first dried, and then a light varnish applied. Once this process is complete, craftspeople cut the fibre into thin strips to make several different items, including boxes, Bao Bab trees and christmas ornaments. The varnish on the banana fibre with its many tones of brown resembles textured tortoise shell.

Esther ensures the craftspeople are paid a fair wage for their goods, which has enabled many in her small village to earn a sustainable wage.

Ilala Weavers (South Africa)

Ilala Weavers is situated at Hluhluwe within the province of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The organisation was established some 30 years ago, with a clear vision and objective of revitalizing and enhancing the age-old Zulu tradition of handcrafts, which at the time were in danger of being lost forever.

Today, Ilala Weavers helps over 2000 Zulu people, both men and women, to attain self sufficiency, by working from their homes and therefore retaining their lifestyle and rich heritage of basket weaving and bead work, which has been passed down through the generations by Zulu crafters, whose modern counterparts today produce stunning works of art, sought after the world over.

Jedando Crafts (Kenya)

Working with more than 100 individual carvers in Machakos, Kenya, Jedando Modern Handicrafts markets products primarily made of wood and bone worldwide. Carving is a tradition in Kenya with the children learning the craft from their parents. Carved by hand using only rudimentary hand tools, olive wood bowls, salad serving sets, and animal-shaped napkin rings take shape from pieces of olive wood, mahogany, and mpingo, or “African Ebony.” An integral part of the organisation’s function is to educate the craftspeople on the need for reforestation to enable the products to be available for years to come and offer a sustainable income for generations.

While wood carving provides the major income for many in the Machakos area, other craftspeople earn a living by further enhancing the products including painting the napkin rings and carving discarded animal bone for the handles of salad serving sets. Often the bone is “batiked” by placing wax on the white bone and dipping the it in a dark brown/black dye, resulting in African mud cloth patterns.

Jimma Banana Art (Ethiopia)

Jimma Banana Art (JBA) is a project that was started with the hope of helping a group of young Ethiopian women living in rural Ethiopia earn money to support their families. Working with VSO volunteers on design and production techniques, the women are able to earn a sustainable wage from craft production.
The intricate patterns of the fibre of the banana tree are only the beginning of the story of this card. Card stock is purchased in Addis Ababa, transported by bus to the rural village and carefully stored where it is not subject to dampness. Each piece of cardstock is cut in half, making the cards smaller than traditional greeting cards but producing no waste. Women cut banana fibre into shapes and carefully affix the pieces in a pattern that slowly forms a detailed picture of Ethiopian life.

Murenga Arts and Crafts (Zimbabwe)

In Zimbabwe, the simplest task is complex with hyperinflation and fuel rationing, yet craftspeople in Harare manage to produce colourful tin animals out of recycled cans, steel wire and beads. This type of art is often referred to as slum art as the artisans work independently in their homes, which are often located in the slums.

To help bring these unique items to western markets, Murenga Arts and Crafts coordinates the work and ensures that Fair Trade practices are in place and payments are made so the artisans can experience a sustainable livelihood in the midst of an unpredictable economy.

MYO Accessories (Mexico)

MYO Accessories is a company aware of poverty, especially among indigenous groups in Mexico where the company is located. MYO was established to help empower craftspeople, mostly women, live better lives by employing them to make their products, such as the candy wrapper purses.

In addition to offering these women employment, MYO give them the opportunity to take the materials to their homes so they can better care for their families while they work, helping to improve the quality of their lives.

Paul Muragu (Kenya)

"Only in my jewellery can all of Africa get along" Paul Muragu says, smiling. Working in a shed the size of a telephone booth in the Nairobi Westlands, Paul invites the bead enthusiast in for a view of his wall of beads that range from Ethiopian silver, to seeds, to glass, to bone, to aluminum pendants made from old Kenyan cooking pots. He has beads from Mali, Niger, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, and many parts of Kenya, just to name a few. He makes many of the metal beads himself and buys glass beads from a womens' cooperative in Nairobi that makes the beads from recycled glass. Paul loves to tell the secrets of the beads (such as those that promote fertility and those that ward off the evil eye). Each beaded necklace is a microcosm of Africa.

PREDA (Philippines)

Peoples Recovery Empowerment and Development Assistance Foundation, or PREDA, is a small but pro-active, charitable, not-for-profit organisation working on a national and international level for Human Rights, especially the rights of women and children. Located in the Philippines, PREDA provides community support through a wide breadth of projects. In addition, PREDA facilitates the international marketing and sales of handcrafted items that range from recycled juice bag totes to brush animals made from the buri palm.

Shanti Seeds of Bali (Bali)

In the small villages of Taman and Bongkasa, Shanti Seeds of Bali creates employment that provides enjoyment, satisfaction and income for the villagers. Using the “two-drop peyote” stitch, women and students turn sturdy rattan baskets into beaded works of art. In an era of industrial machinery, electronics and synthetics, the artisans proudly hand bead brilliant geometric and floral patterns on every visible inch of the rattan basket, including the bottom. The artisans believe it is their responsibility to keep this valuable craft alive and allow the next generation to inherit the skills to reproduce the beautiful works.

Shanzu Transitional Workshop (Kenya)

Started as a Girl Guide project in Eastern Kenya in 1992, Shanzu Transitional Workshop enables young women with disabilities to gain skills that enable them to become productive and confident members of the community and society.

The girls arrive at Shanzu at the age of 17 to start a two year training program. During their stay they learn production skills and tailoring, as well as gaining basic business experience and a vast array of other skills. Upon completion of the two-year training, each girl leaves with a tailoring qualification, a sewing machine and personal skills that better equip her for an independent life. Many of the graduates continue to work with Shanzu, producing products for export orders.

The girls and graduates are paid a share of the profits when their work is sold to tourists and passers-by and, now, internationally through fairtrade organisations. All of the products carry the distinctive Shanzu patch, not hidden inside, but proudly sewn where everyone can see it.

TEMAK (Kenya)

The sign for the Teenage Mothers Association of Kenya (TEMAK) indicates that it is "the last house towards the Obunga slums" the most destitute area of Kisumu. Many of the unwed mothers and young girls who come to TEMAK to learn job skills live in these slums. TEMAK is an organisation that offers job training in tailoring, hairdressing, secretarial skills, craft making, and, recently, computers to unwed mothers, girls, and others in the Obunga slum community. As a community centre, the organisation also provides the community with an educational forum for HIV/AIDS awareness and other health issues.

Many of the young women at TEMAK participate in making crafts, earning income to support themselves and their families. In the past few years, TEMAK has also become a craft centre for the artisans and craftspeople in the town of Kisumu by providing local and international sales outlets that make available a sustainable income for many in the community.

Thaicraft (Thailand)

Working with over 60 artisan groups of diverse backgrounds and cultures from all regions of Thailand, ThaiCraft generates a fair income for village artisans while keeping alive craft traditions. Thousands of fine hand-crafted products, including jewellery, clothing, fabrics, household items, basketry, decorations, stationery, musical instruments, learning games and more are made available to international markets through Thaicraft.

Some groups focus on, or include, people with special needs. Some others face social, political or environmental difficulties. The rest include village cooperatives, slum projects, and small community workshops.

All partners know about and are expected to follow Fairtrade practices and keep to internationally recognised standards of working behaviour and responsibility.

Threads of Yunnan (China)

Launched in 1999, Threads of Yunnan is a project designed to raise the standard of living among the people of Yunnan Province through rural economic development. Women of the Han, Lisu, Miao and Yi Chinese minority groups make authentic embroideries and handicrafts unique to their districts. The company Danyun helps them to promote and market these items.

With this project, the women are able to use their skills and creativity to raise their self-esteem and to earn money. They are provided an opportunity to break out of the cycle of poverty which grips the mountain villages. Danyun also provides training in nutrition, hygiene, money management and personal and family development.