Wedding Season

I'm headed to a wedding this rainy afternoon, which made me think of what wedding ceremonies are like around the world. Here's a quick glance at what folks in some of the countries that supply our fair trade goods do to celebrate marriage.

India: Brides in India wear pink or red for their wedding. They are also decked out in lots of jewelry, and their hands and feet are painted in exquisite patterns of henna tattoes.
After swapping vows in the ceremony, the father or brother of the groom throws flower petals on the new couple. Then, he holds a coconut over their heads and circles it around them three times.

Peru: Good-bye, bouquet toss; hellos, charm pull! In Peru, wedding charms with ribbons attached are put in between the layers of the wedding cake. Before the cake is cut and served, each single woman pulls a ribbon. Whoever pulls the ribbon with the ring is supposed to get married within the next year.

Ghana: Most Ghanans are Muslim or Christian, which of course leads to a wide variety of wedding traditions. Still, many still "knock on the door;" that is, the groom's mother and uncle visit the girl's family to formally propose the marriage for him.

Indonesia: Post-ceremony, most wedding receptions in Indonesia kick off with a procession to the reception site. Features of this procession include a long chain of flowers, and professional dancers performing traditional dances as family and friends wait for the new couple to arrive.

Fair Trade Month

We're gearing up for Fair Trade Month (aka October) here at World Next Door, and you're invited. We've decided to hold three Saturday events in honor of Fair Trade Month throughout October, seeing this as a way to inform more folks about fair trade and have some fun in the process. Here's a sneak peek at some of wjat we're planning for Fair Trade Month. Make sure you come by!

Saturday, October 3
Event: Make-your-own-paper beads!
Time: 11am-2pm
Bring your kids and make your own magazine paper beads, just like we sell in our store. We'll also be talking about the folks who make magazine jewelry in Uganda. Their work benefits AIDS orphans--come visit and find out more!

Saturday, October 17
Event: sample fair trade coffee with local fair trade coffee and teahouse Pasha, and yummy chocolate brownies from Alchemy Spice
Time: 2-4 pm
Have you ever wanted to find out more about the coffee you're drinking? You know--where it's from, how it's made, who grew this? This is your chance to find out. The experts at Pasha will be on hand for this free coffee tasting event, and would love to answer your questions.

Saturday, October 31
Event: Fair Trade Halloween - come into the store in your Halloween costume and get a FREE bar of chocolate. People, this is perfect for kids! If you buy something, we're also going to be giving out free mini chocolates. What can I say, we're sweet!
Time: All day
In addition to bringing your little ones by for a free chocolate bar, we're also going to be doing that Reverse Trick or Treating thing we blogged about earlier. You want to be here.

Check out more info on Fair Trade Month here and here.

Back to School

Here in Chattanooga, teachers have started their pre-class planning and kids are loading up their backpacks and getting ready to head back to school. The summer (all too schort) is nearly over, and it got me to thinking: what does education look like around the rest of the world?

The World Bank does a great job keeping up with figures like this, and I've utilized their EdStats database to look up some relevant statistics. These include information on the country in general, as well as education-specific data. I've included the U.S. and the U.K., but am focusing on some of the countries that are top suppliers of goods here at World Next Door.
One thing I love about fair trade is that the groups we work with place a heavy emphasis on education. Without the stability and income that these companies provide, many families would not be able to send their children to school.
Ok, here are the stats. I thought that the literacy rates by country--especially when comparing female vs. male rates--are especially intriguing.

Thought for the Day

"We are everlasting debtors to known and unknown men and women.... When we arise in the morning, we go into the bathroom where we reach for a sponge provided for us by a Pacific Islander. We reach for soap that is created for us by a Frenchman. The towel is provided by a Turk. Then at the table we drink coffee which is provided for us by a South American, or tea by a Chinese, or cocoa by a West African.
Before we leave for our jobs, we are beholden to more than half the world."
-Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963

Picture courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division

Summer Reading List

I'm a nerd, and I know it.

As a child, there were few things that made me happier than the freedom of hours stretched out with a good book. Summer reading lists never scared me--there was a new adventure waiting for me between the pages of every assignment.

Here at World Next Door, we believe that reading is one of the best ways to open a child's eyes to the world around them, and in accord with that principle, we stock lots of great children's books. If you're looking for a fun summer read that will give your little ones a global perspective, here are just a few of our favorites.

We're Sailing to Galapagos: A Week in the Pacific
Writen by Laurie Krebs Illustrated by Grazia Restelli

This brightly illustrated book follows a red-sailed boat and its passengers as they visit the islands of Galapagos, 600+ miles off the western coast of Ecuador. The visitors see giant tortoises, lava crabs, blue-footed boobies, and more, discovering a new wonder with each new day. A singsong rhythm makes the book perfect for reading aloud at night, and the beautiful collages used as illustration keep your eyes glued to each page.

Mama Panya's Pancakes: A Village Tale from Kenya

Written by Mary and Rich Chamberlain Illustrated by Julia Cairns
This African tale teaches children about life in a Kenyan village, and the importance of sharing what we have--even when it doesn't seem like much. Join Adika and Mama Panya as they visit the market, encountering friends at every turn. Adika is quick to invite their friends to join them for a pancake meal that evening, although Mama Panya worries she can't stretch the flour far enough. In the end Adika's generous impulses are rewarded as the village gathers for a feast. Bonus: spicy pancake recipe, map, and glossary of Kiswahili words.

Going to School in India

By Lisa Hedlauff

It can be a wild ride to get to school in India--racing across a river on a wooden swing, balancing gingerly as they tiptoe across a bamboo bridge, riding in a cart between two huge bullocks. And that just covers getting there!

This book gives kids an up-close look at what life is like for millions of children in India. Complete with photos of Indian kids in every imaginable school situation (night school, school in a bus, school after an earthquake...), this book introduces children to the challenges that others face. Going to School in India is cheerful, upbeat, and optimistic about the futre, even as it acknowledges grim facts about the present (98% of disabled children in India do not receive an education).