Sankofa

Global Mamas 2010

2010-04-14T23:33:00.002+10:00

Children.pdf

Adults.pdf

Fair Trade Christmas Shopping Tours

2009-09-30T16:28:00.008+10:00

Come along and join in the fun of Melbourne's first fair trade shopping tour .... and it's just in time for Christmas.

Two dates to choose from: Thursday 26th November 2009 - 6p.m. til 8.30p.m. Saturday 5th December 2009 - 10am til 12.30p.m

Visit 3 fair trade shops ... each with a diverse range of products ... you'll find something for everyone.

First stop - The Trading Circle, Abbotsford (www.thetradingcircle.com.au)

Second stop - Sankofa, Fitzroy (www.sankofa.com.au)

Last stop - Ethiopia.com, Fitzroy (www.ethiopia.com.au)

Tour cost $20 which includes transport ... champers ... nibbles ... fairtrade tea and coffee .... fair trade goodie bag ... and maybe some Christmas carols along the way!

So why not get some friends together and make Christmas shopping fun and fair this Christmas!

To book contact Kym on (03) 9416 4584 or email kym@sankofa.com.au

Thin Green Line Fundraiser

2009-08-08T14:06:00.003+10:00

Did you know that Friday 31st July 2009, was International Ranger Day?

Well it was, and what better way to celebrate the contribution that park rangers all around the world make to protecting and conserving our environment and its many legged inhabitants, than at a Thin Green Line Foundation event ... at a winery!

The purpose of the night was not only to raise money for the Foundation's important work in supporting the families of ranger's killed at 'work', but also to launch the new 'Power of One' Campaign - which asks every new supporter of the Thin Green Line to encourage 10 friends to also become supporters (maybe should be the Power of 10 - but with Bryce Courtney behind the Foundation its all about the 'power' that one person has to effect change).

The night was filled with great music, good wine, raffles and lots of laughs (and that wasn't just because of the wine!).

Keep an eye out for other Thin Green Line Foundation events ... they're always great .... find out more about the Foundation on www.thingreenline.org.au.

Emerge Festival 2009

2009-06-22T15:03:00.005+10:00

Sankofa had a stall at the Emerge Festival (Sundy 21 June 2009).

The Emerge Festival is presented and produced by Multicultural Arts Victoria during Refugee Week and is a celebration Victoria's diverse refugee and emerging cultures - it was a day filled with music, exotic food, dance, visual arts, ceremonies and a vibrant multi-cultural market place.

The marketplace was in the Fitzroy Town Hall with the African stage .... so we had a day of African beats, drumming, and dancing ... there were acts from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burundi, the Congo and Ethiopia ... lots of fun for everyone.

If you missed the Emerge Festival this year .... remember to keep an eye out for it next year .... you'll be pleased you did!

Fair Trade Fortnight 2009

2009-06-11T16:37:00.005+10:00

Fair Trade Fortnight happens but once a year .... it's local, it's national and it's international .... wherever you are you're bound to be able to find some way somewhere to get involved.

This year's Fair Trade Fiesta was held at RMIT Storey Hall - there was something for everyone ... the day started off with education sessions for 75 school children in Year's 9 and 10 from schools around Melbourne - its great to see young children learning and getting excited about fair trade.

Next came the fair trade marketplace where a huge range of fair trade products were for sale ... the range of products available in Australia just keeps growing ... and growing ... and growing ... its great to see new businesses starting up and spreading the fair trade love ....

Alongside the market was a fashion installation of the latest fair trade fashion available on the market ... and again, the range keeps growing ... and growing ... and growing ... every year.

So if you made it along on the day ... thanks ... hope you enjoyed the music ... the chocolate ... the Ethiopian coffee ceremony.. the fashion ... the market ... and the inspirational speech made by Natalie Pa'apa'a from Blue King Brown ... and if you missed it ... there's always next year!

Global Mamas

2009-05-11T20:35:00.005+10:00

Adults.pdf
Accessories.pdf
Homewares.pdf
Jewellery.pdf
SheaProducts.pdf
Children.pdf

International Women's Day

2009-03-11T13:01:00.004+11:00

On Friday (6th March 2009) I attended an International Women's Day event hosted by ETWA (East Timor Women Australia).

The event was to celebrate the achievements of East Timorese women and their contribution to political freedom in the 10 years since East Timor's independence.

The guest speaker for the evening was Fernanda Borges - the only female partly leader in East Timor's national parliament. Fernanda is a truly inspiring women with an absolute commitment to bettering the lives of all Timorese people.

Fernanda talked at length about the progress of East Timor since gaining independence in 1999 and her belief that East Timor's full potential can not realised unless justice is served for all its people - in this she made a call for justice for the crimes against humanity perpetuated against the people of East Timor.

To this end Fernanda and her party (the National Unity Party or PUN) will continue the fight to keep their government accountable by questioning and challenging decisions particularly in relation to government spending - people like Fernando are truly inspirational especially when they work within what can be a dangerous environment.

Next up .... was a film screening of Heru Ini Lafu : Weaving Life - a documentary about the rural tais weavers that ETWA support - another celebration of the critical role women in East Timor have played in cultural regeneration and national development.

ETWA is a Melbourne based not-for-profit that supports women weavers of tais - East Timor's traditional textile.

For more information on ETWA check out their website http://www.etwa.org.au/.

Sankofa also stocks products from ETWA - http://www.sankofa.com.au/

Sustainable Living Festival & Fair Trade

2009-02-27T17:17:00.005+11:00

Last weekend Federation Square (Melbourne) was the host to the annual Sustainable Living Festival where all things 'sustainable' are discussed, displayed and digested!

I only managed to catch an afternoon of the festival but did get to listen to Tim Costello (World Vision), Ian Dawes (World Vision) and Cameron Neil (Fair Trade Assn of Australia and New Zealand) - the theme for their discussion was 'Don't Trade Lives'.

The message that all three speakers wanted to get across to the audience was that as consumers we have choices in what we buy, and the choice should be for fair trade and ethical products (where possible) - we should be buying products that done harm or exploit people.

Tim Costello talked statistics - and they're shocking - it is estimated that there are over 27 million slaves working either as bonded workers or being exploited with low wages - and alarmingly over 85% of these workers are women and children.

Not only are these workers exploited monetarily they are also required to work long hours and often in dangerous conditions - there's no such thing as 'occupational health and safety' or unions when you're 10 years old working in a carpet factory in India.

And you don't even want me to start on the chocolate industry ....

Bottom line is ... we are all responsible for the consumer choices we make and its important to ask questions about products - where do they come from, who made them, what conditions were they working under etc. - if we all do our bit, it is possible to make a difference.

So ... when you're out shopping look for the fairtrade logo on tea, coffee, chocolate, rice, and sports balls and ask retailers questions about the origin of their products and if they're claiming they're fair trade ... ask why/how/who/what/where!

You can get more info from:

http://www.donttradelives.com.au/

http://www.fta.org.au/

Thin Green Line Festival

2009-02-27T11:37:00.004+11:00

On Saturday 14th February (2009) Sankofa was fortunate enough to have a stall at the inaugral Thin Green Line Music Festival held on the grounds of the beautiful Coolart Wetlands and Homestead on the Mornington Peninsula.

So what is the Thin Green Line ..... its a not-for-profit foundation established by Park Ranger Sean Wilmore - in 2003 Sean, travelled to 19 countries filming the dedicated Park Rangers responsible for the conservation and protection of wildlife in the world's forests and parks.

The result of this trip was an inspiring and moving DVD and the birth of the Thin Green Line Foundation - with all proceeds from the sale of the DVD used to support conservation projects and the families of Park Rangers killed while protecting wildlife.

The Thin Green Line Festival was a one day event celebrating conservation and sustainability and a great way to raise funds for the foundation - there was great music (Nicky Bomba worked the crowd into a frenzy), great food, micro-brewery beer and local wines, and a sustainability village of information stalls and products for sale.

We had a great time talking to people about fair trade and how many of our products are made from recycled material and natural fibres ... we've got recycled glass beads, recycled paper beads, recycled paper albums, straw maracas, pod shakers, straw baskets ... the list goes on.

It's interesting that people in developing countries look for materials to recycle because they're free or cheap - this means they don't have to outlay a lot of money on raw materials ... so its a cheaper way for them to earn a living ... and we in the 'developed west' look for products made from recycled materials primarily because of the environmental benefits - so it works for everyone involved!

Keep an eye open for the festival next year .... the Thin Green Line plan to make it an annual event .... and I'm tipping it'll just keep getting better.

About Sankofa

2007-12-17T10:12:00.001+11:00

You will find products made using traditional skills that have remained unchanged for hundreds of years and are passed down from generation to generation. We have products made using the lost wax brass process, bronze, recycled glass beads, kente weaving, batiking, Tuareg leather work, mudcloth and much more. While the techniques haven’t changed, our skilled artisans use them to create beautiful products for today’s socially conscious shopper.

Sankofa supports artisans in developing countries to create sustainable businesses through ethical trading practices. Fair trade empowers everyone involved – from the artisans who create the products to the shoppers who buy them. This gives everyone the opportunity to make choices.

Why not join our email list? As a valued customer, you can be the first to find out about our new products and exclusive specials.

We hope you enjoy shopping with Sankofa and please tell your friends about our great range of superb products as well.

Our Producers

2007-11-13T11:17:00.000+11:00

Ghana

Bolgatanga, or Bolga as it is usually called, is situated in the Upper East Region of Ghana in West Africa. This area is ... [read more]

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a little known country in West Africa (many people know it by its former name of Upper Volta). It is completely landlocked by....[read more]

South Africa

Fancy Stitch is a self-help, income generation and skills development initiative among women in the rural hamlet ...[read more]

Sri Lanka

Barbara Sansoni, a colourist and artist, created the Barefoot concept in 1958 to provide a rehabilitation program for young... [read more]

How our products are made

2007-11-13T10:35:00.000+11:00

Basket Weaving

The baskets from Bolgatanga are made from a straw known locally as ‘elephant grass’. This straw is the key to why ... [read more]

Lost Wax Brass Process

The lost wax casting process has been widely practiced in Africa for many centuries. West African sculptors were casting gold, bronze, and....[read more]

Recycled Glass Beads

Beads have played an important role in society. They were one of the earliest forms of personal adornment, dating back...[read more]

Batik

Batik – the art of decorating cloth using wax and dye - has been practised for many centuries. This traditional textile... [read more]

Kente Weaving

Kente is a Ghanaian textile traditionally closely linked with royalty among the Ashanti and Ewe peoples. Both the Ashanti and Ewe peoples claim to have... [read more]

Other Information

2007-11-13T09:21:00.001+11:00

Payments and Security

We accept payment by credit card (Visa, Mastercard or Bankcard), or direct bank transfer –please choose your preferred method of payment when you proceed through the check-out process.

Some people are reluctant to provide their card details on the internet. We have taken every precaution to ensure that your credit card and personal details are secure. We never see or store your credit card number on our website – payment is strictly between you and our bank (Westpac). You can tell that you are in a secure site in a couple of ways – there will be a padlock next to the address bar at the top of your screen and the address in the address bar will show “https” instead of the normal “http” the “s” standing for secure.

If you are still uncomfortable about entering your credit card details on the internet, please select the ‘direct debit’ method of payment when you check-out and note our banking details on your order confirmation email and deposit the payment into our bank account.

Terms and Conditions

Goods will be despatched within two business days upon confirmation of payment.
All prices quoted are in Australian dollars and include Goods and Services Tax (GST).
All prices of products exclude postage – postage will be calculated at check-out
Sankofa will accept returns in accordance with the ‘Returns Policy’ described below.

Returns

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, Sankofa will provide a full refund, replacement product or gift voucher (whichever you choose). Notify us either by email or telephone within five business days of receipt of the product and post it back to us. We will refund you the cost of goods as well as the postage charges for receiving and returning the products. The only exception is earrings. Because of health regulations, earrings cannot be returned.

Returns Procedure:

Notify Sankofa by email : info@sankofa.com.au with the following details – your name, address, email address, contact phone number, original order number, reason for return. Please tell us the reason for the return so that we can improve our products or processes, and whether you would like a full refund, replacement product or gift voucher;

Or:
Notify Sankofa by telephone 0408 005 734 (within Australia) or +61 408 005 734 (outside Australia).
Post the product back to 231 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria 3065, Australia.
After receiving back the product, Sankofa will follow your instructions to either give you a full refund (including the cost of postage for receiving and returning the product); or send a replacement product at no additional postage charge; or send a gift voucher to the value of a full refund (including the cost of postage for receiving and returning the product).

Postage and Delivery

Our products are stored in Melbourne, Australia. We aim to process all orders within two business days of receipt of payment confirmation, by which time you will be sent a confirmation email confirming that your order has been despatched. Please allow two to five business days from despatch for delivery within metropolitan areas, five to ten days for rural and remote areas, and longer for international deliveries.

Postage costs are calculated according to the delivery location and size/weight of the parcel. Please contact us if your order is urgent (a gift for example) and we will fast track your order.

Orders for delivery within Australia will be sent using Australia Post - you can choose to either receive your parcel by standard post or registered post.

For orders to Post Office Box numbers within Australia, we use Australia Post registered mail.

All international Orders will be sent using Australia Post airmail service.

If you live in Melbourne and want to collect your goods rather than receive them by post please phone us to arrange a suitable pick-up time (phone 0408 005 734). You will need to select the ‘Pick-up Melbourne’ option in the delivery method at check-out to ensure that you are not charged for postage.

Product Availability

Sankofa tries to ensure that the products displayed on our website are in stock. However, an ordered product may be out of stock by the time the order has been processed. If we are unable to fulfil your order we will contact you within two business days to let you know that the products are unavailable. You can then decide to cancel the order or wait until the goods become available again. Payment will not be processed until stock is available and your order can be fulfilled.

If you need any assistance in ordering from the website or need any further information about Sankofa, telephone us between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Depiction of goods and colours on the internet

We want you to be happy with your purchase and we have tried to accurately represent all products in the photographs on our website. However, colour variations can occur due to differences in computer monitors. Also, because of the handmade nature of our products, there is sometimes slight variation between products. We clearly describe each item but sometimes, because of the handmade nature of our products, measurements and colours can vary. This makes each piece truly individual and represents the individuality of the artisan who made it.

Privacy Policy

2007-11-13T09:18:00.000+11:00

Privacy

Sankofa is committed to protecting your privacy when you shop with us. We comply fully with the Australian National Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000.

We guarantee that the information you provide will only be used for the purpose for which it was provided, ie, for fulfilling your order. We will collect your name, postal address, phone number or email address. Your credit card details are not stored by us. All of your personal details are held in a secure environment. We may use your email address to contact you regarding your order or to notify you when new products become available. You can request to be removed from our email list at any time. We will never provide any of your details to any other party.

Disclosure

On occasion it will be necessary for us to disclose your personal information to third parties. For example, when you purchase products online and use a credit card, we will need to disclose your personal information to third parties in order to receive payment and deliver your products. However, the disclosure will only be made where it is necessary to fulfil your order. Apart from that we do not disclose personal information to any organisation or person unless you have authorised us to do so.

Contact Us

2007-11-13T08:49:00.002+11:00

Thank you for visiting our website. Here’s how to contact us about any of our products, service, delivery or any comments, we’d love to hear from you.

Sankofa
ABN: 443 779 323 07

Contact:
Kym Pointon

Address:
Sankofa
231 Gertrude Street,
Fitzroy
VICTORIA 3065
AUSTRALIA

Phone:
(03) 9416 4584 (within Australia)
+61 3 9416 4584 (international)

Email :
info@sankofa.com.au

Our Principles

2007-11-13T08:36:00.000+11:00

What is ‘fair trade’? Fair trade is a movement that works to bring equity into international trade. Unfortunately this isn’t the way business always works for the millions of disadvantaged producers living in poverty in developing countries.

The aspect of fair trade that is generally understood is the concept of paying a ‘fair price’ to producers for their goods. While this is one of the key principles of fair trade, the movement has a much broader aim.

The International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT) standards are:

Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers (supporting the poorest producers).
Transparency and accountability (dealing fairly and openly with trading partners).
Capacity building (developing the skills of producers and creating opportunities for trading their products).
Promoting Fair Trade (telling as many people as possible about Fair Trade and informing customers where products have come from).
Payment of a fair price (ensuring that producers receive a fair price for their products)
Gender equity (providing equal pay and opportunities for women and men).
Working conditions (ensuring that producers are working in a healthy and safe place).
Child labour (ensuring that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is respected)
Protecting the environment (ensuring that materials and processes used in production and packing do not damage the environment)

How do I know if I am buying fair trade products?

The Fair Trade Labelling Organisation (FLO) is responsible for certifying products as ‘fair trade’. This label currently applies to many consumable products, including coffee, tea, rice, chocolate, and cotton. It ensures that the products comply with all the requirements and standards set by the FLO – see the links below for more information.

However, there is no system in place for certifying handicraft products so that they can carry the fair trade label, although there is a process for co-operatives, businesses and organisations that produce, export, import and sell handicrafts to be certified as fair trade ‘traders’ under the IFAT certification system. There are also a number of international fair trade bodies that have membership criteria and standards similar to IFAT.

For more information about fair trade here are some useful links::

Fair Trade Labelling Organizations International – http://www.fairtrade.net/
International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) – http://www.ifat.org/
Network of European Worldshops – http://www.worldshops.org/
European Fair Trade Association - http://www.european-fair-trade-association.org/
Fair Trade Federation - http://www.fairtradefederation.org//
Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa (COFTA) – http://www.cofta.org/
Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ) – http://www.fta.org.au/

Sankofa’s Fair Trade Principles

Sankofa is committed to fair and ethical trade practices and all of our products have been purchased in accordance with the following principles:

A fair price in local terms is paid – the producers determine the value of their work and prices are not negotiated.
A deposit of at least 50% is paid at the time an order is placed, and the balance upon completion of the order;
Producers work in a safe environment that supports their family circumstances.
Respect for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child by ensuring that the participation of children in the production of fair trade goods (if any) does not adversely affect their well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play.
We support co-operatives and organisations that provide on-going business development opportunities for producers.
Working with some producers to provide advice on product design and providing feedback from customers.
Sharing the story – telling customers about the products, who made them, how they were made, and where they come from.
Promoting and respecting cultural diversity and preserving traditional skills.

How does Sankofa source products?

Our products are sourced directly from producers, where possible. We try to personally visit all producers. We know many of the artisans personally and are committed to forming long-term relationships with them.

Sankofa sources products in several ways:

Some products come from members of fair trade organisations, eg. African Home is an IFAT member, Global Mamas is a member of the Fair Trade Federation.
Some products are fair trade certified and carry the certification of the Fair Trade Labelling Organisation (FLO), eg. coffee, tea, and chocolate.
Some producers have been recommended by members of fair trade organisations, eg. our kente weavers and lost wax brass producers were recommended by a member of the Fair Trade Federation in Ghana.
Some producers rent workshops at cultural centres or artisans villages, eg, all of our products from Burkina Faso come from artisans working at the Village Artisinal de Ouagadougou.
Some products are purchased from street sellers. Not everyone can be a producer, but everyone in Africa is trying to make a living in whatever way they can so we buy a small amount of products in this way.

Sankofa is a member of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ).

Click here for further information about the producers we purchase from.

Newsletters

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Here is a list of our recent newsletters.

Click on a link below to view. If you would like to receive future newsletters, just complete the subscribe form on the bottom left of this page.