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Update on Nepal
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New Shipment, Masks & More
Uncharted territory is all we can say! Even the 2015 earthquakes didn’t fully prepare us for this Covid scenario. But we are forging ahead. We thought we might get a shipment out in early July, then as Covid surged in Nepal (see Covid blogpost) it turned to late July. Now it appears that international flights won’t resume until August 17! So, we’ve had to punt. Here’s what we think lies ahead:
We are Fedexing a shipment of about 200kg (at a very high shipping rate) out of Nepal this week to hopefully arrive by August 7. We included high demand but lighter weight items like headbands, masks, gift envelopes, slippers, felt flowers, oven mitts and potholders in this shipment. Even though the shipping is 3X as much we aren’t increasing our prices on these items. We just want to generate some quick sales and cash for the producers, GHT and you. Fingers crossed!
Our big shipment (heavier items) is packed and ready to leave on the first available international flight, hopefully August 17th! Nepal is no longer on lockdown and covid is spiking so we’re just waiting and watching. We have learned to say “who knows”! This shipment hopefully will be at our warehouse by early September. Luckily we still have a lot of wonderful items in stock in the warehouse, including fall knits that we stockpile through the year.
Our producers have already missed one of the 6 shipments of the year due to lockdown restrictions. Although we are trying to make that up it is a huge loss to them, just as our loss of sales has been to us and yours to you. Luckily our producers got a big payment in early March and knew to watch their money but regardless it is getting tight so we will be sending the payment for all of the late August shipment this week so they can stay on top of paying their employees and suppliers. For our partners like ACP who have much higher overhead and valuable benefit programs for many marginalized women, we have facilitated a grant through Conscious Connections Foundation (see article below) and are actively doing more fundraising to help them stay afloat.
For a fairly current look (it changes daily) at the covid situation in Nepal and the ways CCF is working to help out please see our latest blogpost and the CCF website. It’s quite detailed on the general impact of Covid. If you want to donate to our relief efforts 100% of your donation goes directly to relief and we greatly appreciate anything large or small. Denise & Ric are personally matching up to $2500 for relief to ACP.
We are trying our best to get the producers as much work as possible and to get your goods to you for the same prices and in the same timely manner as in the past. We appreciate your patience as we navigate these uncharted waters. You have always been amazing to work with and we’re pretty sure you haven’t changed. We’ll keep you updated on FB and through our phone calls but feel free to call or email if you have any questions. We may not have the absolute answer but we will give it our best shot.
In the meantime, again, know that we still have a lot of stock in our warehouse and if you can work with us to substitute similar items that’s always appreciated.
Thanks for your continued support!
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From Crazy Science Fiction to Untold Possibility…
Welcome to the craziest science fiction story ever imagined. So glad you are in this story with us. As things get stranger, we at Ganesh Himal Trading feel and experience more powerfully than ever that our community is truly here for us and for each other. There is a beautiful supportive environment from everyone and it is heart-warming. Our dynamic fair trade community feels solid and full of untold possibility.
I told our Ganesh team last week, as we realize things will never go back to the way they were, we are invited to create together the reality that we would like to see emerge. This is our time to help a world of economic justice come into being and we get the chance to help midwife the birthing. Scary, yes, but so is every birth. Full of fear of what could happen but also the hope of what could be.
I admit, these have been incredibly stressful times but I find hope in the strengthening of the vision we as fair traders have of a different world where all benefit and thrive. We have been walking this path already. We have understood that the pathways of old only worked for the few and that to forge a new reality we’ve had to walk on yet unrevealed paths with only each other by our sides. We truly are meant for these times and in some ways luckier than most in that we have already had the courage to venture into new terrain and believe in a new reality. So, we know it can be done. As I said before, so glad you are here creating this new story with us.
To these ends, Ganesh Himal is working on some smaller and some larger ways to adapt and hopefully make things easier for all of you. We are trying to look at the world through different eyes and tell our story differently. Here are some changes you will see highlighted in this newsletter:
- In the past GHT was the “land of assortment” which works for many brick and mortars, but now we want to spread the word that we can also provide depth in design and color in many items for those who are on the web.
- Even though we have never done trade shows (because our carbon footprint is already big) new technology gives us the opportunity to open our doors virtually to you. Now you can schedule a virtual shopping experience, see all of our products and choose what you want. We’ll get to know each other even better and you’ll experience the same GHT amazing customer service.
- We realize that the world does not revolve around GHT alone and that you are always looking for a great variety of products that compliment each other. So with collaboration and growing the Fair Trade movement in mind GHT has created a page of wholesale FTF partners linking you to their websites and we will begin featuring WS FTF partners in our newsletter (to show how cool our products look together).
- Thanks to FTF we are joining with other Fair Trade Wholesalers to create a Fair Trade presence and GHT site on Faire.com. We won’t have our entire inventory on Faire.com but we will have about 200 products. More information on that below.
- We continue to promote the Conscious Consumer Network & AmplifyLIVE! on Facebook to brink a larger community into the awareness of why fair trade matters.
- Finally, (and this is not a change but a continuation of 30+ years of work), we are, through GHT’s non-profit partner Conscious Connections Foundation, supporting artisan relief to help really amazing businesses in Nepal from going under.
In the words of the brilliant writer Terry Tempest Williams in her new book “Erosion: Essays of Undoing”:
“What we experience as heartbreak, the loss of a job or a marriage, or illness, or another disruption in the life we had planned for ourselves, may be our liberation-an open door to growth.”
We look forward to growing together as we take even bigger steps toward an equal, equitable, and just world where people and planet thrive. Thank you for taking the challenge, we hope to be there for you in any way we can.
Be safe and be courageous, in these times.
Hugs, Denise
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Wholesale Partner Spotlight: Global Mamas
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Fair Trade Partners Spotlight Series
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Ganesh Himal Trading believes that if we want the world of trade to change we can’t do it alone and that we are stronger together. So in the spirit of creating a movement for economic justice that will build far into the future we want to spotlight some of our fair trade partners who are doing great work right along side of us. We hope this series will give you hope and help you see what an amazing fair trade community exists and how we can build it even stronger together.
Featuring: Global Mamas
Ganesh Himal Trading is honored to be working side by side with other fair trade wholesale operations like Global Mamas! Not only are they known for their beautiful batik dresses and recycled glass bead jewelry, they are respected for the way they do business and run their organization–which addresses healthcare and education within the Global Mamas’ community. As their website says:
Founded in 2003, the Global Mamas community is comprised of thousands of people from around the world working together with the mission of creating prosperity for African women and their families. The Mamas define prosperity as going beyond financial well-being to include happiness and good health. They achieve prosperity by creating and selling unique, handcrafted products of the highest quality. Being able to do the work they love and being empowered by financial independence leads to greater happiness. The Mamas realize their dreams of having the opportunity to support their families, send their children to school, improve their health, and save for the future.
Our Global Community is made up of the Mamas who produce beautiful products using traditional methods; our employees who manage production, ensuring high quality and delivering personal customer service; our international volunteers and interns who contribute their time and talents to further the development of our Mamas’ expertise; our donors who support the expansion of our programs leading to more jobs, and customers who make everything we do possible by purchasing our products. Read more about Our History.
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Ganesh Himal Trading’s best selling cotton shirt paired with Global Mama’s Globtrotter bag and earrings.
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Ganesh Himal Trading’s wool vest paired with Global Mama’s Modern Times necklace, Mayne bracelets in silver and earrings.
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Global Mama’s Boardwalk batik dress paired with Ganesh Himal Trading’s silver Sun earrings.
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We had fun pairing Global Mamas cute products with Ganesh Himal’s. Learn more about Global Mamas wholesale or retail products here>
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Tune in to learn more about Global Mamas:
Human Resource Director, Patience Essibu Tune into AmplifyLIVE! on Facebook on either the Ganesh Himal Trading page or in the Conscious Consumer Network group and hear how Global Mamas, a cutting edge Fair Trade organization based in Ghana that has created an innovative approach to doing business. We will talk with their Human Resource Director, Patience Essibu (live from Ghana) and Creative Director Alice Grau (Michigan) as they discuss with us how their non-hierarchical business model has resulted in a more level playing field so that everyone, from the artisan maker to the director, has a voice in running a business where everyone prospers. As a result, not only do the women in the organization thrive from these collaborative partnerships, but their impact is then magnified and builds inroads to healthcare and education for their families and communities.
Creative Director Alice Grau with Global Mamas’ design team AmplifyLIVE! is a new video/podcast working in partnership with the Conscious Consumer Network. Learn more about the entrepreneurs, makers and change agents who bring fair trade & sustainable change to their local communities. Hear about the people and movements who make the products you buy and who are helping to build an economy where everyone can thrive.
Join the Conscious Consumer Network Group here:
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CCF Update: First Aid Training
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Conscious Connections Foundation (Ganesh Himal Trading’s Non-Profit), exists to help girls and women in Nepal thrive! To do that we partner with trusted Nepali partners to identify the most pressing issues they face and collaborate on how to address them.When asked about issues in the remote area of Sertung, where CCF has done several years of Menstrual Hygiene Training, key area leaders responded that they felt basic emergency first aid training was vital. This part of Nepal is very remote and medical help is far away so its important for village leaders to learn to stabilize and treat injuries that might otherwise become serious and life threatening.CCF Menstrual hygiene trainer Pema Tamang, a local Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) identified 9 village health care volunteers and 10 teachers from 6 remote villages surrounding Sertung. Pema felt these community leaders would have the best ability to learn the techniques and spread the information to impact the most people. Once the trainees were identified, CCF funded a 3 day intensive training, with Pema and a local midwife Pratina Tamang as the instructors. The attendees learned everything from how to wrap sprains and perform CPR to identifying potential problems in pregnancy and tending to bites. Upon completion of the training each participant was then given a basic first aid kit for their community and funds for replenishing them. The training plus the kits and food came to less than $25 a day per person.CCF is happy to report that this first aid training was a great success. The response to the training was so positive that CCF is considering doing further, more in depth trainings for these villagers in the future. One woman, Gyalmo Tamang, a teacher in Chalis who attended the training was so excited about this program that she had her students actively learning first aid in her classroom only a few days later. In all Pema felt the training of these 19 village leaders could impact up to 900 individuals in these remote villages.This happened because of you and your continued support of CCF’s work in Nepal. Thank you!
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Happy Valentine’s Day
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Welcome to 2020 and another year of supporting each other, our customers, our artisan partners and the planet!
We’re opening this year with the theme of Fair Trade relationships, mainly because without relationship we lose community and community is what Fair Trade is about. As we build a society of justice, equality and partnership together it’s important to honor and acknowledge our Fair Trade relationships. At this moment we just want to sit down across the virtual table, lift a glass, and let you know how much we appreciate you and the vision, hard work and courage that each of you brings to the table. We want you to know that every day we are truly grateful to be in relationship with you.I only wish you could also see and hear how grateful the producers in Nepal are as well. Recently, one of our artisan partners (who make the recycled sari trivets and bowls in the remote village of Sertung) explained how important our collective relationship is to them:“When Toni Maya and Niri Maya Tamang work with Ganesh Himal Trading they get big opportunity to earn money they are very happy with this work. They used this money for their child’s school fees, Toni’s husband’s check up and to buy medicines. They are very happy. They say big thanks for Ganesh Himal. They told me please keep continue give us this work thank you “As we walk together forward into 2020 please remember we at Ganesh Himal Trading and the producer partners we work with are so grateful to all of you for being in relationship with us. Happy Valentines Day!Namaste, Denise[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Climate Strike / News
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Climate Strike!
On Friday, September 20th, the Ganesh Himal team joined thousands of people around the world and participated in the International Climate Strike. We attended our local event in downtown Spokane WA, to demand action on climate change now.
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Announcing Our Plan to Off-Set Ganesh Himal Trading’s Carbon Footprint
Eden Reforestation Project is the organization we work with who plants trees in Nepal. Photo Credit: Eden Reforestation Project.Planting Trees
Ganesh Himal generates C02 emissions when we airfreight our products from Nepal. In order to decrease our carbon footprint we are making a commitment to plant 500 tree seedlings in Nepal for every shipment we receive. That’s 3000 seedlings per year. Trees are one of the best ways to sequester carbon which helps limit global warming, providing for a cleaner, healthier climate. (see Project Drawdown-afforestation)
Our Partners in Nepal
To plant the seedlings, Ganesh Himal Trading will donate to Eden Reforestation Projects, a California based non-profit that has been working in Nepal to support poverty alleviation and environmental restoration since 2015. Eden Projects has already planted over 3 million trees in 3 distinct regions across Nepal and aims to:- Alleviate extreme poverty by hiring local villagers, giving them a fair wage, to grow, plant and guard large-scale forest restoration sites,
- Provide a consistent income to poverty stricken communities encouraging economic growth and,
- Restore the environment through reforestation efforts, improving fisheries, agriculture and carbon sequestration.
The Math
We did the math and figured out that each shipment from Nepal weighs approximately 5000 lbs which, when airfreighted creates 13 tons of Co2. In order for us to offset 1 ton of Co2, we need 4 mature trees. So that means 13 x 4 = 52 mature trees per shipment. With 6 shipments a year, we need 312 mature trees total to offset the Co2. Our goal is to to plant 3000 seedlings per year with this reliable project to grow enough trees to maturity to reduce our footprint. The cost to do this is a mere 33 cents per tree or $990 a year and the benefits are huge.
We aren’t Stopping There
Finding Eden Projects in Nepal also means we can begin making up for the Co2 emissions from years past, so Ric and Denise (co-founders of Ganesh Himal Trading) have pledged to donate $330 a year to plant 1000 more seedlings. That means a total of 4000 seedlings per year planted & cared for in Nepal and fair income for impoverished villagers. We think it’s a win win!
A Few Ways You as a Fair Trade Business Leader Can Take Action for Climate Change
- Show up and strike! Find a local march/protest in your community and join them; if you are a business owner, pay your staff to take time off and participate. This tool kit can help you get the word out and encourage others to do the same.
- Use Social Media to show your support for climate strikes, even if you are unable to attend any events. More ideas here.
- Get politically active and vote! We must elect a government that will take bold action to reduce emissions, prepare for climate change and build a strong, diverse, equitable and clean economy.
- Green your commute: try to drive less and choose public transportation, biking or carpooling.
- Consider a workplace energy audit to identify where you can make the most energy-saving gains.
- Promote products in your store that encourage preserving the environment by offering a discount. Get creative and have fun raising awareness of this important issue.
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The FTF Wholesale Guide
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Featured in the FTF Wholesale Guide!
Cotton Dress by Ganesh Himal Trading CD-D-SNMEarrings by Fair Anita, ring by Muichic Natural Jewelry, bag by Baskets of Africa.
Model is Mo Wahome, photo by Michael Rothermel[/fusion_text][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””]
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Useful Links for Retailers
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Fair Trade Retail Support Group>
Hosted by Ganesh Himal Trading, this group is set up to provide Ganesh Himal customers with a group forum where people can share ideas and problem solve.Artisan & Handcraft Information>
Sharing their talent and skill with us, Ganesh Himal artisans produce some of the most beautiful and well made handcrafts coming from Nepal. Learn about them & share their stories with your customers.Learn More about Advance Ordering>
Grow your sales by Advance Ordering with us and make sure that you have the stock you need for the holiday season.[fusion_button link=”https://dev.ganeshhimaltrading.com/customer-support-area/” text_transform=”” title=”” target=”_self” link_attributes=”” alignment=”” modal=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” color=”default” button_gradient_top_color=”” button_gradient_bottom_color=”” button_gradient_top_color_hover=”” button_gradient_bottom_color_hover=”” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” type=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”” size=”” stretch=”default” shape=”” icon=”” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]Get More Support[/fusion_button]
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The FTF Wholesale Guide is now available!
(from the FTF website)
The 2019-2020 Fair Trade Wholesale Guide has been released! Explore verified fair trade wholesalers and their unique products in this gorgeous, visual feast of a guide.If you would like a print copy, please fill out the request form here. Please note if you are an FTF retailer, you will receive a print guide in the mail. For the most up-to-date list of FTF wholesalers, visit the Fair Trade Federation Find a Wholesaler Guide page.[fusion_button link=”https://www.fairtradefederation.org/resources/2019-2020-fair-trade-wholesale-guide/” text_transform=”” title=”” target=”_self” link_attributes=”” alignment=”” modal=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” color=”default” button_gradient_top_color=”” button_gradient_bottom_color=”” button_gradient_top_color_hover=”” button_gradient_bottom_color_hover=”” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” type=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”” size=”” stretch=”default” shape=”” icon=”” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]View the Guide[/fusion_button][/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Q & A with Austin Zimmerman
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What brought you to Ganesh Himal Trading? I’ve know Ric and Denise most of my life as family friends. My work at Ganesh Himal first started as a nanny to their son Cameron, and continued each summer when I would return home from school to work in the warehouse. It was in those early exposures to Ganesh Himal and their business practices that the seeds of Fair Trade and responsible small business were planted.
Why have you decided to build your livelihood around Fair Trade?
I think it was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to replicate their business model. The concept of long term business relationships built on trust and operated at a small but impactful scale was very inspiring to me. That concept combined with the opportunity to work each day towards making the world a more equitable place is what excited me then and continues to excite me today. Having worked in the Fair Trade Federation community now for eight years I’ve learned so much more about the movement and it’s change-makers. I am so grateful to work with the incredible people I do–in Nepal, at Ganesh and throughout North America.
What has it been like to move into a co-owner position with a business that prioritizes an intentional succession process?
During several trips to Nepal and eight years of employment, I’ve observed Ric and Denise at the helm of an incredible company –guiding it through natural disasters, threat of economic recession and more. Through all of that they’ve been very gracious, allowing me to voice ideas, make mistakes, observe and ask questions. The network of relationships and systems required to run this business are extensive and the wealth of knowledge gained through thirty-four years of experience is priceless. Our hope is that through the succession plan, I’ll be able to continue to learn and navigate the business while still receiving input from Ric and Denise. I recognize that there is still SO MUCH for me to learn, but I’m grateful to have two incredible mentors guiding me. Ultimately, because the transition will happen over time, Ganesh Himal will continue to operate uninterrupted–which is something we felt we owed to our producer partners in Nepal, our dedicated employees and our customers.
What are you most excited about in your new role?
Brene Brown defines a leader as “anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and has the courage to develop that potential”–I feel that Ric and Denise have approached their business relationships in this manor and that I have benefitted greatly from their approach. To that extent, I hope to continue this approach and further nurture a team mindset which I find both empowering and inspiring. Together, I hope we continue to hone our strengths and potential to meet the needs of our customers and producers in a constantly changing market.
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What a long, strange and rewarding trip it’s been!
But thirty five years is long enough, at least for me so it’s time to pass the torch, to hand over the keys to the executive washroom, to let someone younger if not wiser, someone who has the youthful energy and enthusiasm for fair-trade and Nepal take over my place in Ganesh Himal Trading. But before I introduce Austin a quick historical rundown is in order.
The year 1984, Denise and I take an extended trip to Asia and the S. Pacific. Nepal was our first port of call and after two months we totally fell in love with the country the people and the sweaters, not to mention the myriad other handcrafts. Our sweaters, provided by a Tibetan refugee couple, proved to be our introduction to the business end of Nepal. After a month trekking we returned to Kathmandu enamored with our purchases and were persuaded to set up shop in the states selling Lobsang and Dolkar’s sweaters. Bare in mind this was before the advent of fleece. The sweaters were beautiful and well made, the perfect winter item for the Northwest.
As one thing leads to another, one trip to Nepal lead to more trips to Nepal, more great treks, more great products and more great people. We met Nhucche who being quite the Newari entrepreneur fronted us 100 sweaters on consignment. We paid when we sold them and returned to Nepal. How’s that for trust! Today we work with Nhucche’s son Amit. We met Meera Bhattari, who was starting the Association of Craft Producers,”Dhukuti”, which is a skills development and income earning project for low income women. Many of you know we still work closely with Meera and ACP and now the Conscious Connections Foundation provides support for the education of the children of the producers. We started working with Tibetan carpet weavers and although we not longer sell carpets this was a further introduction into Tibetan culture. Which lead us indirectly to finding our late friend Namygal and his wife Pemala. A couple that turned out to be crucial to both ending our shipping nightmares and to supplying us with consistent well made products. We still work closely with Pemela and her daughter Kesang. Kesang has helped set up a workshop on the border of India which provides income for women who are in danger of being trafficked, have lost husbands or have been abused. She also is a driving force in helping CCF with the menstrual pad project.
As our business grew, we realized that in order to provide consistent quality in the handcrafts and close relationships with the producers we needed someone to essentially manage the day to day operations in Nepal, to field questions about products to insure labels are correct, to make sure the products are finished and shipped on time and to keep everybody happy. Then by both a fortunate and unfortunate turn of events Chunta came into our lives. Chunta is Pemala’s younger sister who with her family had fled Tibet in the early seventies leaving everything behind. The fortunate part is obvious, we could not do what we do today without Chunta. She is respected by all the producers, speaks numerous languages and is so hard working, diligent and creative that it puts me to shame. The unfortunate part is that we actually came to know Chunta because Denise’s mother broke her leg while on a trip to Nepal with us. Chunta was the one who really provided Joy with care and companionship during her convalescence in Nepal, and later as Joy brought her to the states to help out and repay her kindness.
Of course we put Chunta to work while she was in Spokane, helping us with sales at fairs and festivals. Which leads me to the next part of this narrative. That of how we managed to sell all the sweaters and other products and really establish our business. When we got back to the States after 7 or 8 months of traveling our little box of Nepali handcrafts was waiting for us, much to our surprise. Denise’s Mom and Dad set up a show for us at a local theatre where we did a slide show of our trip and displayed what the items we’d send back. By the end of the evening we’d sold almost everything and our fate was sealed. We borrowed a little money, I went back to Nepal, Denise when to law school and we embarked on the journey. During the three years Denise was in school I spent my time plying the college campus’s doing what we termed “guerrilla vending“ and on the weekends we’d set up our booth selling at various random festivals, actually anywhere they would have us. Which, by the way took us to some very colorful events, everything from Trout Creek Montana Huckleberry Festival, to the Folk Life Festival in Seattle with a hundred thousand people.
By the time Denise finished law school Ganesh Himal Trekking and Trading was taking off. One or both of us had gone back and forth to Nepal numerous times and had great contacts with the producer groups and a market. The market however demanded that we be on the road some 200 days a year hauling 50 pound bags of sweaters in and out of various events. But it was a good time and allowed us to talk about the producers in Nepal and how we based our business on an equitable partnership, a model that we learned later was the core of Fair Trade.
In hindsight the next progression seems fairly obvious but at the time I thought it was both a stroke of brilliance and a more than a bit of luck. The luck part was the formation of the Fair Trade Federation, which Denise tuned into right from the beginning. We participated in some of the first Fair Trade Federation conferences which gave us the opportunity to network with retail stores which were members of the FTF. The obvious part was our slow transition from retail to wholesale. I mean how long could our bodies hold up hauling sweaters around plus wholesale gave us the opportunity to provide more work and support to the producers in Nepal. Also shortly after this our son Cameron Norbu was born. He was immediately indoctrinated into Nepali culture and fair trade by taking his first trip to Nepal at the tender age of five months. He subsequently has spend much of his young life going back and forth to Nepal and not only helped form CCF but spent most of a gap year in Nepal after the 2015 earthquake leading projects that CCF was involved in.
Which leads me back to where this all started, with my retirement and the introduction of Austin as Denise’s partner. The transition from retail to wholesale required that we find employees to work with us since it rapidly became more than the two of us good handle. Denise and I would still be on the road throughout the Northwest showing and selling products to fair trade stores. Cameron would be packed in with the goods. At home however Cameron was in need of someone to hang with him sometimes during the day. So enter Austin at age 14. In a way Austin was also indoctrinated into fair trade at a young age. She slowly began doing projects for the business during her summer breaks and when she was home from college. She actually helped us collate our first paper catalog which was a demanding job at the time. It was obvious from the beginning that Austin paid a great deal of attention to detail. Denise could give her a task and it would be done and done well. So after Austin finished college and spend a couple years playing professional volleyball in Europe she returned to Spokane, contacted us and asked if we had any work she could do. Again the timing was perfect, our customer base was growing our products were increasing and the opportunity to have Austin even part time was too good to pass up.
I remember Denise asking Austin what she wanted to do after returning to Spokane, she replied that she really wanted to work in fair trade. OK, how’s that for fate! I’m not sure we thought about it at the time, but Austin’s enthusiasm and commitment to Ganesh Himal, which included a self funded trip to Nepal, proved to be the perfect transitional opportunity for both of us.
As long winded as this narrative is it but a brief encapsulation of thirty plus years of working with wonderful and amazing people both in Nepal and across the US. We’ve gone from selling sweaters out of the back of our truck to selling to some four hundred stores around the country. Granted it’s been a fair bit of work, pun intended, but we could not have done it without everyone involved, the producers in Nepal, the stores committed to fair trade and of course our terrific staff. So I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to make this work my life and I now feel grateful to have the pleasure to past this legacy onto Austin. Namaste, Ric
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Fair Trade Collaborative Partnerships
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Dawn Patel is an artist and business owner in Door County Wisconsin. Her business “Brilliant Stranger” found its name in a dream, and reflects a sincere belief in the potential we all have to shine. Wearable Art has become a focus in her creative business, and working with Ganesh Himal in the production of some of her most popular designs has made it possible to experiment even more with original dye processes and surface design. Her processes include but are not limited to machine, hand stitching, painting, block printing, plant dyes, low impact dyes, and hand beading. Each piece of clothing is unique and full of personal expression.Dawn’s art and business reflect a constant striving to honor the earth and all living creatures. She works with materials that are ethically sourced and/or repurposed whenever possible and is always trying to learn and improve. The artistic visions come from a spirit and a place that cannot always be explained, but honoring that creative spirit is the single most important part of her process.You can find her items on www.brilliantstranger.com and etsy: https://www.etsy.com/sho p/brilliantstranger [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]