GiftsWithHumanity.com is proud to be sponsoring World Fair Trade Day 2009. To celebrate we are giving away 500 World Fair Trade Day Dancing Girl Pins - all we ask is that you wear them with pride and start some discussions about Fair Trade.

The pins are made from recycled telephone cards in Kenya by Creative Alternatives in Kisumu. Use coupon code WFTDDG at checkout on GiftsWithHumanity.com to get one free.

Each pin is mounted on an informative card that explains the principles of Fair Trade and introduces you to the artisans.

The Dancing Girl Pin comes from humble beginnings.  In the 1990's a European development organization created the Kisumu Innovation Centre of Kenya (KICK) and designed products made from readily available, discarded materials including tin cans, wire, tin sheets of misprinted bottle caps, and water hyacinth, an invasive weed growing uncontrollably in nearby Lake Victoria.  By holding workshops at the centre, KICK designers taught marginalized Kisumu residents how to make jewelry, paper, and home decor, creating a workforce of craftspeople and artisans.  The occupation of "maker of crafts" became prevalent throughout Western Kenya and the KICK products were a novel addition to the traditional Kenya crafts made from wood and soapstone.  By the early 2000's craftspeople were training apprentices to meet the demand of Europe and America for the products.

The cofounders of Global Crafts had the pleasure of seeing this evolution take place first hand as volunteers living in Kisumu.  As craftspeople approached them to ask for help in marketing their products, the two, who had left computer-related jobs to volunteer, found it easy to market the products online.  The dancing girl pin was one of the first products for Global Crafts sold online - 400 pins to the Association of Business Women - in 2000.  Since then, Global Crafts has sold more than 60,000 dancing girl products and buys an average of 2500 pieces a month.  She has been very adaptable.  She has been made into pairs of earring, pinned to greeting card, had her body shaped like a heart and a tree, and her head like a star.  She's sprouted wings and worn Santa suits.  Her body has been made from scrap tin, tin cans, and most recently ubiquitous scratch off phone cards that litter Kenya. 

It is with this in mind that Global Crafts and Gifts With Humanity have chosen the dancing girl pin as their personification of Fair Trade.  To honor her and the sustainable income she has brought to many in Kenya, Gifts With Humanity will give a dancing girl pin to the first 500 visitors who visit www.giftswithhumanity.com and request a pin.  This offer will be available between Earth Day and World Fair Trade Day so recipients can wear her on World Fair Trade Day.  Other dancing girl accessories will be available on the site as well to accent lapels, backpacks, ears, and refrigerators (she also sports a magnet.)  So wear her with pride and when people comment about her (and we know they will), explain fair trade to them and let them know how the Dancing Girl, with her wild hair and wiry legs, provides sustainable income and helps empowers people to lift themselves from poverty. 

Attached Picture description:  Creative Alternatives in Kisumu, Kenya works with craftspeople to make and market recycled jewelry including dancing girl pins.