As you know we are firm supporters of Fair Trade and Double Bay Market is fortunate enough to have Hands Across The Andes as a trader at our markets.
Their products are stunningly colourful, appeal to big kids and little kids alike and have a range as high and as wide as the mountain range they are named after.
So we thought why not share a bit of what Hands Across the Andes' (or HATA) story is about and gain some insight in to Fair Trade and the important role it plays.
For those who may not have heard of Hands Across the Andes, can you give us a little bit of background and history as to how it came in to being and your involvement with them
Hands Across the Andes was established in October 2010 to create a sustainable market for Peruvian handcrafts in Australia. It was founded by us [Phil Pittman and Gilda Salazar-Leon (Gigi)] to promote the artisans' skills and ensure they receive a fair price for their products.
Hands Across the Andes (HATA) is a member of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand.
Gigi's Story
Gigi is a professional artisan and business owner with 14 years experience in the industry. Over several years she learned to appreciate colour and composition by working alongside experienced artisans. She loves the quality of Peruvian natural fibres and the way in which artisans create beautiful products from them. Gigi wanted to promote her knowledge of Peruvian handicrafts by bringing them to the international market.
During her time in the industry, she noticed the effort invested by the artisans came with very little financial return. She felt she could help them by advising them on not only how to design and present their products, but obtain a better financial return for all their hard work.
Gigi is driven by a strong social conscience and not only wants to help the women and children who create these beautiful pieces with limited resources, but more importantly guide them in to making choices which will enable them to continue production in a positive and financially viable way.
She believes that HATA can become the vehicle that allows her to support her fellow Peruvians.
Phil's Story
After spending a substantial amount of time in Peru, which included visiting Gigi's artisan store (located in the Indian Market which is part of Miraflores tourist district in Lima) he began to notice how tourists were completely unaware of the negative impact their bartering had upon the livelihoods of those local stallholders (ie. the artisans).
While many tourists don't think twice about haggling for a "better deal", the knock-on effect to the stallholders and their community is enormous. It could mean literally mean the difference to the family eating a meal or not. Given there are literally hundreds of stallholders at these markets, the prices are already competitive so that additional barter really can impact in ways the ordinary person may not fully appreciate.
While visiting the homes of the local artists with Gigi, Phil observed the difficult conditions that they had to contend with, most especially the length of time and skills involved in creating a single item.
Inspired and determined to do something that was "right" for these wonderfully creative people, ie. finding a path so that they received a fair income for all their skill and effort.
As HATA is Fair Trade, where do you source most of your items from
HATA source our baby alpaca, silk & merino wool garments and accessories from family operated business in Peru.
The key criteria we use to select businesses we work with includes the quality of skill and ensure that all products are produced under Fair Trade principles.
What makes buying Fair Trade so important
The knowledge that you are buying an item that was sourced from an artisan who is receiving appropriate financial recognition for their time and skills. This then enables them to control their own future and improve not only their working conditions but also their quality of living standards not just for for themselves but for their families and communities.
Buying Fair Trade products also enhances the buyer's understanding of who and where the items were made which is not usually available if buying retail; from that it hopefully garners a deeper appreciation and understanding of time taken and skill required to produce such pieces.
What is one of the more satisfying aspects of selling Fair Trade at Market
Market life allows us to take the time to get to know the shoppers on a more personal level, so they become more like friends. We especially love it when the children come up and start asking questions, like where do the dolls come from or what animal is that "big one", where one little girl tried to feed him so he wouldn't get hungry!
Initially it's the children who are attracted to all the bright colours and when their parents come to have a look, that's when the magic starts to happen.
If you could sum up the world of HATA in one paragraph what would it be
Increasing the economic value of artisan skills and creating mutually beneficial cultural and economic exchanges
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So keep your eye out for that Llama at our markets cause it is a sure sign that HATA is in town. We thank Phil and Gigi for sharing their story with us, for their tireless work and to enlighten us all about not only Fair Trade but why it has become an integral part of theirs and our lives.
ps: click "here" to read more about HATA
