10 Fair Trade Gifts for Mother’s Day

What better way to give thanks to mom then by giving her something beautiful and with a sincere message!

Our mother’s day picks are all handmade, fairly traded and support local mothers and their families.

We source products from organizations like Mercado Global and Swahili Imports that work with local communities to produce beautiful, high quality and sustainable crafts to increase livelihoods of their artists. Your gift would not only be in celebration of your own mother, but also a contribution to other mothers and their families!

And feel free to explore more free trade items on our online store.

 

Binh Minh Loop Scarf (Various Colors) $25.00
Binh Minh is Vietnamese for morning sun, and this collective in Northern Vietnam is just a few kilometers from the South China Sea, a spectacular vantage point from which to welcome the sun each and every morning. It is here the collective of 20 families operates 25 looms and can weave up to 5,000 shawls and scarves a month. Binh Minh uses only local Vietnam raised silk in all of its hand spun yarns.

 

 

Shaping the Future Beaded Cuff $19.99
This stunning “Shaping the Future” cuff is a fair trade product from Mercado Global that works with women in local communities in Guatemala. Guatemalan women with Mercado have indeed shaped the futures with nearly 100% of Mercado artisans’ school aged children in school!

 

 

 

Swahili Plastic Shopper Bag (Various Colors) $22.50
These beautiful bags from Senegal are woven from end cuts of the long plastic strips that a Dakar mat company uses to make prayer mats and rugs. In this kind of sustainable practice, artisans can purchase the readily available colorful materials relatively inexpensively to design spectacular creations for everyday life. These totes would be great for wonderful lightweight shoppers or beach bags.

 

 

Yego Wave Earrings (Various Colors) $32.00
Yego is a Kinyarwanda word meaning YES! These vibrant hand woven earrings and designs by women’s cooperatives in Rwanda are about rebuilding hope in a once divided nation. They are about building a country where everyone thrives and leaves behind the struggles and hardship of the past.

 

Sunset Chip Necklace $32.00
This is another great piece from Mercado Global called the “Sunset Chip” necklace. Mercado Global partners with communities in Guatemala to design and create pieces that fuses Mayan craftsmanship and modern design. Mercado’s model helps mothers in these communities to send their children to school in hopes for a better future.

 

 

 

Good Luck Elephant Ring Holder $10.00
This hand-crafted, free trade piece is made with soap stone with vibrant synthetic dyes. Swahili Imports “focuses on sustainable profit, artisan advancement and modern, earth-friendly product development.” Carrying itself all the way from Kenya, this set will prove to be a helpful placeholder for rings that just might slip away by accident in a blink of an eye.

 

Multi-Strand Beaded Bracelet $17.00
This Multi-Strand Beaded Bracelet adds a subtle shimmer to any outfit. With clear and red beads hand-strung on 20 brass-colored wires, this lightweight bracelet will spark conversation and compliments. Let admirers know that the multi-strand beaded bracelet is made in India by artisans earning a fair living wage for the handcrafted jewelry they produce. This product supports Sustainable Development in India.

Ton Fai Open Weave Scarf (Various Colors) $23.00
The delicate nature of the Open Weave scarf makes for a lightweight and airy design. Ton Fai, Thai for cotton tree, expresses our weavers’ commitment to using only 100% locally grown cotton fibers in the production of all their textiles. The Ton Fai group has been weaving for 15 years in between their harvest and planting seasons as a secondary source of sustainable income for their families.


Short Cascading Necklace $38.00
Wear your difference with this lively multi-strand “Cascading Necklace” by Mercado Global. Made from matted brick red, sand, and orange Czech glass beads, silver metal beads, and accented with silver bugle bead endings. This unique piece fuses modern design with traditional craftsmanship.

 

 

Ghanian Market Basket $48.00
Elephant grass grows prolifically around Bolgatanga–capital of Ghana’s Upper East Region–recognized widely as a trading center for handcrafted goods. Elephant grass blades grow in clusters up to ten feet tall, and local weavers have long utilized their fibers for making durable baskets and straw hats, tinted by natural plant dyes that do not run or stain. Be prepared to enjoy your basket for years to come; it will endure extensive use without losing its quality or charm!