[owm] New at One World Market

[Laura Wendell]

I made a mistake the first time I sent this out.  I apologize if you get 
it twice!

Hello!

We are unpacking at a furious pace these days at One World Market and I
wanted to let you know about some of the new items I particularly like.  
We have just received a doll/ornament made of crocheted recycled plastic
bags from a co-op in Benin (please read the cool description of the
artisan group below).  I LOVE our new angel with a coiled newspaper
body.  She is fun, poseable and environmentally friendly.  In the area of
housewares, we have a gorgeous new sushi set from Mai Handicrafts, which
also makes our ever-popular goldfish rocks.  In a few weeks, we will
have a house-blessing set from a co-op for the deaf called "Silence" in
Calcutta.  New scrapbook and greeting card kits are also on the way from
Eco Paper Africa in Zimbabwe.  With Halloween and the Day of the Dead
just around the corner, Jenny and I have finally found a fair trade
source for sugar skulls, skeleton garlands and other corpse-related
crafts.  They should be scream (argh!).

About the crocheted ornament from Benin...

This woman ornament is the latest example of the ingenuity of artisan
group Qui dit Mieux in Ouene, Benin. Grâce Dotou founded Qui dit Mieux
in 1980 as a theatrical organization to promote peace and concern for
humanity and the environment.

Dotou, a retired headmistress, had a vision to banish poverty in Benin,
cleanse the environment and improve the living conditions for women and
children. Dotou became distressed by the number of plastic bags strewn
around her town and decided to recycle them into useful products. Now
she and 20 other women sterilize after market plastic trash bags then
crochet them into colorful handbags, dolls, placemats and scarves. Since
their start they have recycled more than two million bags.

Today the work of Qui dit Mieux focuses on job creation and educational
dramas promoting recycling and caring for the environment. The United
Nations Development Program recognized Dotou for her work in 2002 with a
Poverty Eradication Award.

Hope to see you soon,

Laura

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