Fair Trade Accessories—Great New Eco-friendly Items

Our fair trade accessories online store has really grown with loads of new items for women and men. We've been searching long and hard and carefully selecting the best accessories items to add to our store. Items we think you'll feel will complement your fashion style and your commitment to ethical shopping. And we've been hooking up with really exciting third world artisans in Thailand and Uganda: Vance Kitria is from Thailand and Mend (love that name) is out of Uganda. Trendy and beautiful creations from great people.
Here's one of our new handbags, the Chelsea Handbag. This handbag is made from high-grade canvas with genuine leather trim. Removable leather strap and many other fine features. Very well priced too.




And here's a very cool Laptop Sleeve from Mend for a MacBook or comparable sized laptops that is perfect for men or women. Truly a very special gift choice for any occasion. This sleeve is made of 100% cotton duck canvas for the exterior and padded micro-suede in the interior.

Thanks for shopping with Shopping for a Change.

Meet Tasha

Meet Tasha

Why did I decide to intern at Shopping for a Change?

Hello, my name is Tasha. I am a rising senior and an intern at Shopping for a Change this summer. The internship popped out to me when I was perusing the internships available on my school website. I immediately loved SFAC for the unique combination of fashion and philanthropy, but above all the company appealed to me because of its ability to bring this massive world we live in that much closer together. It unites women across the world. When purchasing an item in the comfort of your own home you can make a direct impact on a woman working across the globe in Africa, Asia, South America, really anywhere. I love travelling and experiencing new cultures. However, one of the thing that always shocks me while travelling is the poverty that I see in these countries that is unequalled in my local community. I have walked around a one room house in rural Peru where a woman supports a household of six, the Sowetos in South Africa, and a floating village in Cambodia where the houses are subject to floods every 10 months and have no running fresh water. In all the places the poverty is so tangible and I go around trying to think of ways that a sixteen-year-old like me can make a difference from my small home town. SFAC gives me a chance to help out Stacey Horowitz, who consequently helps out these women across the world rise out of poverty through fair trade. Hopefully this is stepping stone in the future of my work helping out our international community.

Favorite Item of Clothing?

If bracelets count as items of clothing, then I love bracelets. :) I try to purchase a bracelet from every location I visit and whenever I wear them I instantaneously get to remember the location that I purchased that bracelet from. If bracelets don’t count as a piece of clothing, then I would have to say leggings. They are the sneakiest clothing items. They are as comfortable as sweat pants, but can be made fashionable at the same time.

Favorite Gemstone?

Emerald! They are green and gorgeous!

My Fondest Travelling Memory?

I was visiting Peru with my family, when one evening after much arguing on mine and my sisters behalf my parents agreed to get up at 4:30 am to go to Machu Picchu to see the sunrise. We woke up with a great deal of effort and then had to wait in line for a bus for 45 minutes. We got on the buses that takes you to the top of the mountain and after 30 minute we were finally at the top. Then my sisters and I all sat down on one of the terraces and watched the sunrise over Machu Picchu. The sun crept over the jagged mountain tops as we sat at 7,972 feet above sea level admiring the combination of natures and human made beauty. It was unforgettable and well worth the argument the night before that convinced my parents that waking up that early was a necessity.

Katy Leakey Interview (Part Four)

Katy Leakey Interview (Part Four)

by Niki

The finale of the interview with Katy Leakey, founder of the Leakey Collection. Covering an exploration of the principles of fair trade, a little business advice, and an awe-inspiring dream for the future.

I recently spoke with Katy Leakey, founder and owner of the Leakey Collection, for the final segment of an interview hosted by Shopping for a Change. To remind you, the Leakey Collection is an organization that operates in Kenya, and sells natural, African-made, sustainable jewelry and handcrafted products to a global market. Its principle goal is to give economic opportunities to local communities in Kenya, especially to women.

What does it mean for a company to truly embody the principles of fair trade?

Before I talked to Katy Leakey, I thought “fair trade” just meant that the buyer gave the seller his/her money’s worth for a product – in other words, no cheating in an exchange of goods. Though I had the gist of the concept, the degree to which companies such as the Leakey Collection go to ensure that “fair trade” is carried out astounded me. Here are Katy’s thoughts on the principles of fair trade:

“There are three basic tenets of fair trade…

1)   The Living Wage: It’s relative to the area in which work operation is set up. We make sure that the person working in an average week is able to feed and clothe their families, and have basic medical attention. Even for American families, that’s a lot.

2)   Protect Workers’ Rights: The company works with the employees to set prices, schedule working hours, etc. We always consult our workers to make sure they approve of our decisions.

The Zulugrass Single Strand Necklace, like all
of the Leakey Collection's products,
 abides by all of the fair trade principles.

3)   Give Back to the Community: This one’s optional, but we do it anyway. We believe the company has the responsibility to build infrastructure, schools, etc. – and strengthen the community that works for them.

And, recently, a fourth tenet has been added as well: The Environment.  Your company agrees that the work it does isn’t detrimental to the environment.”

I can only imagine how much improved the average quality of life would be if every company in the world embodied these principles of fair trade. Hats off to the Leakey Collection.

Did you make any mistakes along the way?

I was surprised to find that the advice coming from a Kenyan organization working to improve local women’s quality of life was what I would expect from any ordinary store or business: “Check with customers to see whether they want to buy it.” But, then again, “A business is a business.” The Leakey Collection engages not only in marketing, but also in communication with their costumers, especially through Facebook. If you ever plan to start a business with a consumer market, take an expert’s advice to be sure that you “communicate” with customers, and that your “products speak correctly” to them.

What are your goals for the Leakey Collection?

“I had a dream,” said Martin Luther King Jr. Most of us do. But only a few have a selfless dream like Katy Leakey’s – a dream to make a difference. When I asked Katy about her goals for the future of the Leakey Collection, she immediately responded that “We would like – love – to be big champions of fair trade around the world.” The Leakey Collection is already a “big champion” of fair trade, but Katy wanted to spend even “more time on being international proponents of fair trade – spreading the word and carrying the banner.” If that dream is not inspiring enough, Katy’s second goal for the Leakey Collection is to “expand developing systems, modular systems, that other countries could use” She talks about the “possibility of writing programs for schools” that would help train in business endeavors so that others can replicate her work in the future.

Overall, I found the experience of speaking with Katy both awe-inspiring and educational. Always pursue your dream.

Hi, I’m Niki, and I’m an intern this summer at Shopping for a Change! I’m a rising junior in high school, with a passion for singing and playing the piano. So far, I’ve had a great experience working, learning about marketing, reading inspiring stories, conducting interviews, and now blog-writing. Hope you enjoyed reading the installments of the interview!

Meet Niki

Meet Niki

Hi everyone, I’m Niki, and I’m an intern at Shopping for a Change! Since I’ll be working for the organization for the rest of the summer, please allow me to introduce myself. Don’t worry, I won’t trouble you with a long-winded autobiography (though, I’ll admit, it’s quite tempting). Instead, I would just like to give you a couple facts about myself, and tell you why you have to deal with me for the next two months. :)

Grade?

11th/ Junior

Favorite Clothing Item?

My Fuzzy Socks. They are striped purple and orange, reach up till my ankles, and are super comfortable. I love wearing them around the house. (I would wear them outside too, if not for the laws of fashion that forbid wearing socks with sandals or flip-flops.)

Favorite Gem?

Amethyst. It’s purple and it’s pretty. Case closed.

Why I Decided to Intern?

Mid-way through 10th grade, as I was perusing through various internship descriptions, I was looking for two things: an experience to learn from, and a job that I would enjoy. With Shopping for a Change, I not only found what I was looking for, but I also gained the opportunity to make a difference. Conducting research on products, organizations, and countries proved to be eye-opening for me. I realized that Shopping for a Change supports one cause while supporting many: it supports the rise of women from poverty, but its reach extends worldwide. Through Shopping for a Change, I not only have the opportunity to learn in a fun, supportive environment, but also, and more importantly, to make a difference. Please keep shopping – because by doing so, you are making such a difference.

Katy Leakey Interview (Part Three)

Katy Leakey Interview (Part Three)

by Eleanor

The third part of the Interview with Katy Leakey, founder of the Leakey Collection, explores the newest and very popular addition to the Collection: Marula Oil.

While most of The Leakey Collection’s products are jewelry pieces made out of Zulugrass or Zuluwood, in 2012 they added Marula Oil to their lineup. Billed as “the ideal moisturizer” Marula Oil has gained popularity throughout the US, being featured in media from the New York Times to Vogue. During our interview, I was able to ask Katy about the process of creating Marula Oil and its ongoing success in the US Market.

The process of bringing Marula Oil to The Leakey Collection began about five years ago, when Katy’s husband, Leakey Collection co-founder, and botanical expert Philip Leakey began exploring Marula Oil’s potential. Because of Philip’s botanical background he “has worked with many plants

over the years and [...] knew about Marula Oil.” Once the Leakeys decided to move forward with the Marula oil, it “took about three and half to four years to develop it.” The Leakeys had to set up the structures and methods to harvest the nuts that produce the oil from the wild.

The entire operation is incredibly eco-friendly, as evidenced by Katy’s description of the harvesting policies: “All of the nuts are gathered from under trees; they’ve already fallen [and] animals and people have already eaten the fruit. Everybody has done everything they want with [them]--these are just the waste nuts.” The nuts are gathered by Maasai women, who then sell them to the Leakey Collection, at “the same price as fair trade coffee.” Next the nuts are individually cut open by hand, in a process called decorticating, and the kernels are picked out. Only the fresh kernels can be used to make Marula Oil, so about 15 percent of the kernels are discarded. In the last step before being shipped to America, the nuts are put through a custom cold press filtration system, which the Leakeys had to design and build themselves. Once the nuts, now an oil, reach the US a “light, fresh fragrance” is added.

http://shoppingforachange.org/Marula_Oil.php

In the past year and a half, Marula Oil has earned a plethora of media attention and has become immensely popular in the beauty community and beyond. When I asked Katy what she attributes to Marula Oil’s success, she responded without a pause, “It’s efficacy.” Marula Oil is extremely versatile and its uses date back more than a century: “The women of South Africa have used it traditionally for healing burns and scars for about 150 years or so.” According to Katy it is “absolutely amazing” at this as she cited her own need for Marula Oil: “I fell and got a scrape on my lip, and I normally scar very badly, I would have had this mark for three weeks, [but with Marula Oil] it was gone within a week. And I mean completely gone, no trace.” In addition to its healing properties, Marula Oil is also high in antioxidants and omega six and nine which allow it to be absorbed deeply into the skin and to be classified as a “medical grade hydrator.”

The rapid growth of Marula Oil has caused Katy to have to spend less time in Kenya and more in the US. While the Leakeys “normally [...] spend one to two months a year in the States for trade shows and business” they have had to remain in the US for more time in order to keep up with Marula Oil’s growth. Katy hopes to be able to return to her normal schedule and spend most of the year in Kenya in near future.

When asked why The Leakey Collection decided to make the move into skincare, which certainly took a considerable amount of time and resources, Katy discussed the benefits of a consumable product, something a customer will need to use repeatedly, “with a consumable we see the possibility of expanding work opportunity to tens of thousands of women, not just a few thousand women.” With Marula Oil the Leakeys would like to “expand work opportunity out throughout East Africa. We are well down into Tanzania now with it and we’d like to keep expanding.” As the Marula nut is available throughout Sub Saharan Africa and Marula Oil is rapidly expanding in popularity, Katy’s goals seem to be within reach.

As Katy said,“It’s just fabulous--you have to try it!” If you want to try Marula Oil for yourself, click here.

Up Next: The final installment of our interview with Katy, discussing fair trade and The Leakey Collection’s goals for the future.

Hi! I’m Eleanor and I am a rising high school junior. I have two cats, I love drinking tea, and I’m obsessed with all the jewelry on Shopping for a Change (too bad I can’t afford it all). Interning with Shopping for a Change is an amazing experience filled with inspiring stories, great opportunities, and lots and lots of cheese provided by the founder Stacey. Cheers!

Meet Jessica

Meet Jessica

Why did I decide to intern at Shopping for a Change?

Heading towards my senior year of high school, I’ve collected a long list of internships and office work to put in my back pocket. I spent my summers typing away in company cubicles and working behind counters in various offices. Although I continue to appreciate the knowledge I’ve gained from these experiences, I wanted to do something different the summer before my final year of high school. I had talked to people who had interned at Shopping for a Change previously and decided to give it a try. On my first day, I went up to

Stacey’s (my employer) house and rang the doorbell. While I had at first tried to act overly formal and mature like I've had to do in my other internships, my job at SFAC turned out to be casual and more enjoyable than I had ever expected. After only one month of working here, I can now honestly say that I’m learning and making more of a difference than I ever had at any other internship I’ve been in. When I think back on my summer internship memories, I will most likely remember the delicious cheese and cracker platters, Stacey’s two energetic dogs, and having fun collaborating with the other interns.

Where have you always wanted to go?

Australia. When I was a kid my favorite animal was a kangaroo and I had always wanted to see one up close (especially if it was boxing). I would also like to see other exotic animals that live in Australia and see how the lifestyle is there.

Favorite flower?

I don’t really know the names of too many flowers, but I would say lilies.

Nicest thing someone has done for you?

For my birthday, my friend sewed for me an entire sock monkey stuffed animal herself out of pieces of colorful socks that she had. It looked so finished and professional that I assumed she had bought it from a toy store before she told me she made it herself. 

Favorite item of clothing?

I like sweats, converse, and striped sweaters.

Favorite Gem?

Sapphire, in honor of my first Pokémon Gameboy Chip.

Fondest travel memory?

I’ve been to Las Vegas more than 20 times in my life. My grandfather enjoyed gambling there so we always went with him on short family trips. It gave me time to hang out with my older sister and my cousin. Because we weren’t able to gamble, we found many other ways to amuse ourselves. There’s something about watching SpongeBob for hours in a bathroom and building huge pillow forts that makes very fond memories.