Yesterday I mentioned the lovely jewelry from Haiti that we were next to at the craft fair. Across the aisle from us was this vast display of baskets. I LOVE baskets. I can never think of anything to put in them, but I absolutely love them. For an entire day I sat looking at all these baskets trying to envision them in my home.
The two women who were selling them were very outgoing and funny. We had a lot of fun during all that time we had to kill. I got to talking to them about what they were all about. They told me that they import these fair trade baskets and sell them at craft fairs and farmers' markets and then use the money to support not only the women who make them but other young girls who live in Ghana and want to go to school.
The name of the organization they work with is called BaBa Blankets and its corresponding group SISTAworks. SISATworks is the part of the organization that helps put young, ambitious girls through high school. You can check out their page to find out which girls are currently in need of sponsoring.
Other than finding the baskets at a farmers' market or craft fair, I don't think there is a way to get a hold of them. I asked about this and she said they are a bear to ship and they are always different so it is really hard to keep a website going.
You can, however, check out the girls from Ghana and see if there are any of them that you would like to sponsor. Again, there are so many pleas for assistance all over the world, but you never know which one is going to strike your fancy...especially if you never hear about them.
I finally did buy a basket and it is sitting in my mud room just waiting to collect all of those hats and gloves that seem to never have a home during these long winter months. It's great to have a beautiful, well-made basket in my home. It is even better knowing it is helping rural women in Ghana.
God Bless!
