We are one of many non-profit organizations today trying to bring equality, justice and relief to countries left out of a globalized world. We are also concerned about how many orphans there are who have little or nothing left to cling to after what AIDS has done to their villages in sub-Sahara Africa. Here are some statistics from the United Nations Human Development Report of 2003: "There are 14 million AIDS orphans today, 95% in Africa. In sub-Sahara Africa, 49% of the population lives on less than $1USD a day. Over 12,000 African children under the age of five die everyday from preventable and treatable diseases. Universal primary education in Africa will not be achieved before the year 2129. Life expectancy in Africa is approximately 36 years of age."

  How do we accomplish our goals to bring economic and just trade to poor, developing countries and also provide hope for millions of orphans?

  Our solution is to commit ourselves to these problems and personally involve all our resources wherever we can. Here is how we carry this out.



  We, as volunteers, sell fair trade products from over 25 developing world countries, which enables the producers of these goods to provide for their families and remain in their villages, increase their medical and educational opportunities, and offer them long-term business relationships. The producer is guaranteed, not only a fair wage in the local context, but also the hope of extended business agreements to continue selling those products and possible loans.

  Our work to help AIDS orphans began in Zambia in 2003, when our Vice President and International Program Director, Peggy McCarthy, provided for her own airfare and accommodations and visited children in the outskirts of Lusaka where we had a contact person. During that first visit she explained our desire to begin helping some of the orphans by sending them to school and offering support to the extended caregivers who had taken in orphaned children. She worked with our contact to set up several supportive programs. In 2004 we furthered our work in Zambia and also began programs in Kenya.

  Peggy visits our orphans and African directors each year to learn what is needed to improve the quality of life for those whom we support. At this point in 2008, we support over 400 orphans with funding for food, educational expenses and medical needs.

  Some of our volunteers offer their help and support to those in Africa and other developing countries by serving in our fair trade store each week. In addition to selling the products which help the cooperatives around the world, they try to bring our customers into a greater awareness of what they can do on a personal level through their buying, contacting governmental officials, and joining national and international campaigns. We welcome all types of networking, projects and ideas in order to keep expanding the solutions and closing the gap between rich and poor.