Susie's blog

Muenda Fair Trade has been proud to support Global Mamas for 4 years now. Global Mamas is a non-profit and fair trade organization assisting women in Ghana, Africa to become economically independent. This organization also has a sister organization 'Women in Progress' that is an international volunteer organization that operates in Ghana.

I found this article whilst browsing the allAfrica website and was instantly intrigued. This is an opinion piece that expands on the theories of Jeffery Sachs who wrote 'The End of Poverty". For those, (like myself) who have an interest in the theories and solutions to poverty this is definitely worth a read:

'Jeffrey Sachs has become something of a force in international development circles over the past decade.

Rwanda will play global host to celebrations for the 2010 World Environment Day, observed annually on 5 June, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today.

UNEP selected the Rwandan capital of Kigali as the epicentre for this year's festivities because of its environmental richness, including rare and economically-important species such as the mountain gorilla, as well as its pioneering transition to a 'green' economy.

World Fair Trade Day, May 8, 2010, is an international celebration and promotion of Fair Trade. Events will be held in over 80 countries.

Muenda Fair Trade is now on Facebook. Check us out! View pictures of Susie's travels in Africa, video and find out more about Fair Trade!
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The annual Walk for Water in Charleston is inspired by millions of women and children who are responsible for making the daily trek to collect water for their families. During the walk, each participant has the opportunity to carry an empty water pail, which can be filled with water at the halfway point along the route then carried to the finish. The Walk for Water is a fun, educational experience that anyone can enjoy!

The Historic Charleston City Market has a direct connection to the people of Haiti, having housed refugees from Cape Francois, Sainte Domingue (Haiti) in 1793 in the Market Hall section between Meeting and Church Streets while the City Market was still under construction (please visit The Charleston History Advocate at charlestonarchive.org/ for the full history of the market's relationship to Haiti).

I remember learning about the Human Development Index (HDI) during my African studies. Limitations were highlighted of how measuring the GDP of a country does not quantify the ‘healthy development' of a country and its citizens. I came across an article today that sheds more light on this topic and wanted to share it.

'Despite the global recession, worldwide sales of Fair Trade Certified products grew by an impressive 22% in 2008 as consumers spent an estimated $4 billion on Fair Trade products globally. In the U.S., sales grew 10% to $1.06 billion, and in Canada, sales grew 67% to $180 million. The UK, after growth of 43%, has surpassed the U.S. for most FT sales by country, at $1.23 billion.

This following article was posted on the BBC website earlier and is an interesting topic. Planting trees to offset carbon emissions is a controversial project. A great idea on the surface but does raise other issues. Can the human race really control the environment? Personally, No. It may provide shade and shelter for people and wildlife. It may help prevent soil erosion. But how much in terms of land and water resources will it take? Is it feasible? Read on to learn more...