Blossom
Visiting Peru during the Pandemic
Even though I was fully vaccinated, I was still anxious because I hadn´t visited my native country Peru for more than a year. I decided to make this trip to be with my family, especially with my father, to be with him for his second vaccination shot and have the chance to check-in with some of the artisans who we work.
Love is in the Earth, our 7Rs of Sustainability in Arpillera Art
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In the month of love… It is unbelievable what you can learn when you work directly with artisans and how you can also use that knowledge to contribute to communities... In the middle of this pandemic, we expanded our line of products and the number of artisans we are supporting in Peru. We reaffirmed our commitment to fair trade, the community and the environment. And it was thanks to Alcira, our Arpillera artisan, that we have learned more about this artistic technique and how Alcira gives back to her community. Traditionally, Arpillera is done using burlap. Women use scraps of...
Reset, Restart, Reimagine 3R´s for COVID
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In the middle of March 2020, just one day after our friends of Ten Thousand Villages Evanston, visited our artisans in Peru, the country closed, entering into strict and mandatory quarantine and curfews for more than
Technology A Driver For Inclusion
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WORKING AGAINST COVID During this #COVID and in strict quarantine in Perú, we met Alcira through social media, where a great person posted her talent works and her critical situation of poverty to feed their kids. Alcira is a single mom, native from Ayacucho who migrates to Lima, looking for better conditions and opportunities for their 3 kids. She has to raise them by herself outskirt of Lima and she has been struggling to find a job in this pandemic even though her talent, skills and 10 years of experience in Arpillera technique. Are you asking yourself what is Arpillera technique? This is a traditional work that has passed over generations, Arpillera means burlap in Spanish, is a brightly colored patchwork picture made predominantly by groups of women (also known as arpilleristas). Arpilleras are typically constructed from simple and recycled materials such as burlap...
Interview of Chicago Fair Trade to Rosa Chang, author of Cuyita wants to know the world
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INTRODUCING CUYITA TO THE WORLD In May 2020, co-founder of Blossom Inspirations, a fair trade company, and now author, Rosa Chang wrote a semi-autobiographical children’s book, Cuyita Wants to Know the World. We sit down with Rosa to discuss her ‘blossoming’ inspiration behind the book, her experiences immigrating to Mexico and then the US, and creating a bilingual home for her family. Scroll down to read CFT Executive Director Katherine Bissell Cordova's interview with Rosa Chang about the inspiration behind her book, her experiences immigrating to Mexico and then the US, and creating a bilingual home for her family. Click on...