People behind the products

Making baskets for Traidcraft has helped Vietnamese weaver, Chut, to buy food for her family.

Marcelo Baldemor joined Salay in 1994 and was taught crafting techniques. Now 45 and married with three children, he works for Salay as a home worker. "I dream of seeing my three children finish college," Marcelo says, and Salay is helping to make his dream a reality.

Working at the Thuy Kinh ceramics group is like being part of a family, according to Toi, who makes ceramics which are sold in the Traidcraft catalogue.

Rumi is one of several hundred women working for Swajan in Bangladesh, which supplies Traidcraft with embroidered cards. She lives in Dhaka with her husband, Rabiul Islam, and their two daughters, Orpa and Ohana. Thanks to the embroidery work for Swajan and her husband's grocery store, they are able to meet their bills and provide for their children. But just over three years ago their lives looked very different…

Sales of fair trade honey have helped Chilean beekeeper Celia Gonzalez to complete her high school education – 15 years after she first started!

Narmaben Manji, who works as a cotton farmer in India, hopes that selling organic cotton to Agrocel – one of Traidcraft’s suppliers - will help to provide her grandsons with a better future.

Rice farmer Dalbir Singh appreciates the good price and other benefits he receives when he sells his harvest to Agrocel. It’s in sharp contrast to his experience with other buyers.

Fetching water is quicker and safer for Doricca and Mary now that they have a borehole in their village, paid for with the Fairtrade premium on locally grown sugar.

Joyce Chibouro and her family will have access to electricity for the first time this summer – thanks to the Fairtrade premium on sales of sugar.

For tea plucker Adriano Kalili, the fair wage he receives means he has been able to build a three-bedroom house for his wife, Alizeta, and their three children – and the Fairtrade premium has helped to provide the roof.

Indian tea farmer AV Thomas is a model farmer – and that’s official! He is passing on his farming expertise to neighbouring tea farmers in Kerala, ensuring quality in the Fairtrade tea sold through the Sahyadri Farmers Consortium.

No wonder Indian tea farmer V Chellai and his wife, Kurzhamma are smiling. They not only enjoy growing tea on their small farm in Kerala, they are now getting a good price because they are members of Sahyadri Farmers Consortium – one of Traidcraft’s newest Fairtrade tea supplier.

For Argentinian farmer Francisco Pozo tending his vineyards in the remote Famatina Valley is not just work, it's a passion.