These amazing women in Zimbabwe create knitted ‘shamwaris’ – friendly African animals that make perfect gifts. Gogo Olive gives fair, dignified employment to women in a region where unemployment is shockingly high. Find out how your purchases can help create jobs for hard-working artisans in communities of need, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Browse their adorable products online! https://www.globalhandicrafts.org/collections/gogo-olive

“Having an income means a lot to this community. A consistent salary gives them confidence, dignity, respect and significance,” says Heart and Hands. Some of their artisans in China are deaf or have other disabilities, but sales have plummeted during Covid-19, though, and it’s been a challenge. You can make an impact on real lives by shopping fair trade. Help Hearts and Hands, and hundreds of others, train and employ people from places of need.

“Can you imagine being poor, wondering where the next meal is coming from, worrying about how to keep warm, when at night its minus 40 (degrees), and you have no coal or no wood to burn…,” say Mary and Martha staff.

These are just a few of the hardships faced by artisans supported by Mary and Martha. And like many of the producers we support in our Global Handicrafts Shop, Covid-19 has impacted their income.

You can help make an impact in the lives of these artisans by shopping fair trade. Through the sales of their products, many women and children are given a warm home, food on their tables and clothes to wear.

Browse their  products online, www.globalhandicrafts.org/collections/mary-martha and change lives through fair trade.