Global Mamas is a non-profit organisation in Ghana who support the sustainable employment of hundreds of women – they are a member of WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation).

They have a wide range of handmade products – batik children’s, women’s and men’s clothing, batik accessories, recycled glass jewellery and decorations, recycled plastic products, and a skincare range of soaps and shea body butter made from unrefined shea butter .. as well as products for pets.

If you are interested in stocking Global Mamas products in your business contact Kym on (03) 9416 4584 or email kym@sankofa.com.au.

Click the link below to view this year’s fabulous products …..

Global Mamas Catalogue 2012

Women are such an integral part of the fair trade movement and what better way to show your support for their achievements than by going shopping, drinking champers and enjoying a fabulous lunch!

Join in the tour … and connect with women in three continents – Asia, South America and Africa.

Hear the stories of the women who make the craft – learn how to start a grass roots enterprise – extend a hand to women across the globe through the power of your spending.

Choose fair trade – crafts that enrich our lives and enable them to live theirs.

Saturday 17th March 2012

10am to 3pm

$70 per person (includes 2 course lunch @ Charcoal Lane (Mission Australia’s social enterprise fine dining restaurant, transport, refreshments at each stop, and Fair Trade gift bag)

Do you want to shop ethically this Christmas?

Do you want to give gifts that are handmade, unique, and made with love?

Then we’ve got the answer for you – join in on one of our Fair Trade Christmas Shopping Tours – they’re loads of fun and guaranteed to be the most stress free Christmas shopping you’ve ever done.

Three dates to choose from – all include transport, refreshments, champers and fair trade gift bag.

For bookings phone Kym (03) 9416 4584

But with the ever increasing range of fair trade and ethical gifts on the market today it’s getting a lot easier to avoid settling for the ‘fall-back’ gift – socks and jocks!  Plus many fair trade gifts are also eco-friendly … using innovation to turn rubbish into gifts.

And what’s more, buying gifts made by fair trade and ethical organisations really are gifts that give twice – many products are made by men who themselves are fathers and doing their best to earn a living to provide for their families – so what a great way to give ‘gifts’ to two dads!

We’ve put together a lovely range of fair trade gifts suitable for dad – from the quirky (see our doorstops made in Kenya from recycled thongs), to the practical (and funny) journals made in Sri Lanka from elephant poo paper (yes, you read that right!), to travel gifts (see our toiletry bags made in Ghana from recycled water sachets (so you know they’re waterproof!)), to the cultural (we’ve got a great range of Putumayo CD’s for dad to find his ‘African’ groove), to the down-right delicious (Divine fairtrade chocolate –the name says it all).

And remember if you still can’t find anything fair trade that’s just ‘right’ for dad this Fathers’ Day then why not give him some fairtrade chocolate – the new ‘fall-back’ present (and at least he might share it with you).

Click here to see our great range of gifts for dad!

Global Mamas is a non-profit organisation in Ghana who support the sustainable employment of hundreds of women – they are a member of WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation).

They have a wide range of handmade products – batik children’s, women’s and men’s clothing, batik accessories, recycled glass jewellery and decorations, recycled plastic products, and a skincare range of soaps and shea body butter made from unrefined shea butter .. as well as products for pets.

If you are interested in stocking Global Mamas products in your business contact Kym on (03) 9416 4584 or email kym@sankofa.com.au

The attached pdf is the 2011 Global Mamas product catalogue.

Global Mamas Australia Catalogue 2011

Fairtrade Easter Chocolate

There’s no time like Easter to remind the chocoholics amongst us that its a good time to make the switch and buy fairtrade Easter eggs this year … guilt free chocolate that tastes delicious … everyone wins with fairtrade chocolate … from the cocoa farmers right down to the consumer.

Chocolate is a multi-billion dollar industry … we just can’t seem to get enough of it.  So its only fair that if we’re going to eat chocolate that we buy chocolate that supports the cocoa producers around the world.

Yes, we can win the battle to beat the injustices of conventional trade practices … it’s easy … EAT MORE CHOCOLATE (fairtrade chocolate, of course)!

Sales of fairtrade chocolate have gone through the roof in Australia and its now much more readily available on-line, in small retail outlets and in the major supermarket chains.  In fact according to the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ) since Cadbury and Whittaker chocoalte companies started producing fairtrade chocolate sales have increased 1,500% and chocoalte sales overtook fairtrade coffee sales for the first time ever.

Once again this year Sankofa is selling fairtrade Easter eggs – we’ve got the 100g Chocolatier egg in milk and dark chocolate and in the next week we will have our Easter Egg Hunt kits from Divine Chocolate as well as some Divine mini eggs.

If Easter isn’t all about chocolate for you then we’ve also got some lovely fair trade Easter gifts available – rabbit finger pupets, rabbit hand pupets, chicken finger puppets, recycled paper eggs from Bangladesh that you can paint yourself, paper mache eggs and gorgeous felt chicken baskets – great for that Easter egg hunt – or how about the Putumayo CD ‘Music from the Chocolate Lands’.

Click here to see our range of fairtrade Easter eggs, chocolate and other fair trade gifts.

Click here to learn more about fairtrade chocolate.

Global Mamas Shea Butter

This is an unedited product review of our wonderful shea butter from Global Mamas in Ghana - by Melissa (Sankofa staff member)

I tried Global Mama’s pure unrefined shea body butter and shea soap, knowing only that this African elixir from the karite trees was meant to be good for the skin – but just how good I was yet to discover! Naturally containing an impressive array of properties to nourish, soften & regenerate the skin (especially in its unrefined state), and containing no synthetic nasties, these products work effortlessly to minimise and balance complexion issues whilst enhancing the natural radiance and health of your skin.

 Having always had very sensitive skin that is prone to reactions from anything artificial in my skincare, as well as very dry skin (prone to flakiness in the colder months), I’m always on the look-out for totally natural products that are deeply moisturising and nourishing.

 I’d always wanted to try shea butter, but had been unable to source anything from retail outlets that was completely natural. From a sensory perspective, this body butter is almost waxy in texture in the jar, but softens up beautifully as you apply it onto the skin.

 The unscented version has a nutty, slightly earthy aroma, which I loved (smell the goodness), but there are versions with the addition of essential oils of lavender or rosemary for those who like a more aromatic scent.  It absorbs quite quickly, leaving behind a gorgeous glow, which is great to highlight bared shoulders in a summer dress, and to give legs a lovely sheen. I used it after over-exposing my skin to sun on a camping trip. It eased the sting and redness of sunburn, and stopped my skin from peeling, restoring a sun-kissed glow to arms and legs. I tried it overnight on cracked heels, and voila – they were restored within two nights.

 Curious to find out more, I started researching, discovering it contains something called cinnamic acid, a natural protectant from UV rays. As well as vitamins A & E (anti-wrinkle agents), and essential fatty acids (aids everything from eczema and psoriasis, to irritation and redness). It has been used to assist with reducing stretch-marks, and its anti-inflammatory properties can restore inflamed or blemished skin to a balanced state.

No wonder it feels so good, and brings a visible vitality to your skin! When showing the products in the shop, I’ve had customers express disbelief that my skin is actually very dry – clearly not if I’m using the right products!

The shea butter soaps act as a nourishing companion to the body butter. It’s impossible for shea butter by itself to be “soap”, so shea is the primary ingredient, with coconut oil, essential oils and a few other natural ingredients. What can I say – I’m a convert. I’m using the lavender, but can’t wait to try the honey and oatmeal. The soaps are gentle, emollient, long-lasting, and would be great for children or anyone who simply wants a nourishing, effective, all-natural soap, free from sodium laurel sulphates or other harsh detergents.

A note on the difference between refined and unrefined shea butter products – if it looks more like a Mr Whippy soft serve than textured home-made ice-cream, you’ll be paying for unknown synthetic nasties (which actually inhibit any benefits left in the shea butter), and sacrificing many of the properties naturally present in unrefined shea butter. Think of the health differences between white rice and brown rice – the more processed an ingredient is, the less of its naturally inherent benefits remain. (I’ve worked in the health food industry – can you tell?)

The Global Mamas range of pure, unrefined shea butter products are also very price-competitive in comparison to other “boutique-brand” versions on the market, giving you more butter for your buck! And when you buy from this fair-trade project, you’re also supporting economically disadvantaged women in Ghana (one area in Africa where the karite tree grows), contributing to sustainable livelihoods and fairer working conditions. Try it for yourself!

Women are such an integral part of the fair trade movement and what better way to show your support for their achievements than by going shopping, drinking champers and enjoying a fabulous lunch!

Join in the tour … and connect with women in three continents – Asia, South America and Africa.

Hear the stories of the women who make the craft – learn how to start a grass roots enterprise – extend a hand to women across the globe through the power of your spending.

Choose fair trade – crafts that enrich our lives and enable them to live theirs.

Saturday 19th March 2011

10am to 3pm

$70 per person (includes 2 course lunch @ Charcoal Lane (Mission Australia’s social enterprise fine dining restaurant, transport, refreshments at each stop, champers and fair trade gift bag)

I do after my first trip to Bolgatanga in northern Ghana.

Myself and my travelling companion (Martine) were in Bolga for a few days before heading to Burkina Faso (the border crossing is only about 30km from Bolga).

Bolgatanga is hot and dusty and even though its a small town, we still managed to get lost while wandering around – and ended up at the animal market – there were goats, chickens, pigs everywhere and the sold ones were being tied (still alive) to motorbikes, bicycles, and the roofs of cars to be taken home for dinner – it was quite a distressing place to be if you didn’t understand what was going on and the more we tried to find our way out, the deeper and deeper we went into the market.

Eventually we ‘got out’ … only to find ourselves still lost but this time wandering around a warehousing area (not exactly a tourist hotspot).

But then … I spotted two young guys sitting outside a warehouse sewing leather handles on to baskets.  I’d heard about the ‘bolga basket’ but didn’t have any idea how I would find basket weavers or figure out how to import them to Australia.

(The ‘Bolga basket’ has become one of the most well-known African baskets – they’re easily recognisable by their round shape and leather handle (and not to be confused with the imitation grass version that is coming out of Vietnam at the moment – that will disintegrate the moment they get wet)).

We had a look inside the warehouse and it was full of beautiful, brightly coloured handwoven baskets all for the export market.  One of the guys gave me a business card for the ‘manager’ and off we went on our merry (but lost) way.

We eventually made it back to our guesthouse and that evening were sitting outside in the dining area.  I thought Martine and I were having an interesting conversation but it obviously wasn’t interesting enough … as she was eavesdroppiong on the conversation at the next table.  Next minute she says ‘they said ‘fair trade’ … you should talk to them’ .  Eventually I butted in and got talking to them – three Danes and a Ghanian … turns out they were talking about fair trade bolga baskets … and wouldn’t you know it the Ghanian was Francis … the owner of the basket company we’d stumbled across earlier in the afternoon.

Francis’ company had joined up with 10 basket weaving co-operatives and they were working with the Danish Fair Trade Assn on developing a fair trade business relationship between all the players.

That was 2006 – then in 2007 I went back to Ghana having  placed my first order of baskets with Francis.  On this trip I visited two of the weaving co-operatives and could see some of the progress that was being made as a result of the relationship with the Danish Fair Trade group.  Some of the co-ops now had weaving frames so they can weave the baskets while sitting on a chair (rather than on the ground), weaving centres had been built so the weavers could work together rather than isolated in their homes and new designs and colours were being developed.

In the last two years the quality and the design of the bolga baskets being made by these co-ops has gone from strength to strength … and I would confidentally say they are the best quality baskets coming out of Ghana today.

As a result of all this hard work over the last 4 years, Francis’ company (Havilak) is currently in the final stages of becoming approved as a member of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO).

Sankofa is proud to say that, while we stumbled across Havilak completely by accident, we are the only importer of these fair trade baskets into Australia.

Click here to look at photos of my 2007 visit or click here to buy a basket!