Poverty Relief
Introduction
Fair Trade can only operate where the conditions are not unfavourable.
Specifically, an unstable political environment on the verge of war,
or a war torn country, or a country devastated by natural disaster, precludes trade; what is needed here is aid.
The classic example of these statements is Sierra Leone where stability has been evident for some time
but the infrastructure makes life very difficult for anyone wishing to build a reliable business,
and where the craft skills of wood carving or pottery have been dispated.
In Zimbabwe the government effectively declared war on many highly skilled and talented workers,
driving them from their homes, and destroying their lives.
Historical Role of WEFT
The essential role(s) of WEFT in the period 1997 - 2011 was
- To own and operate the Hull One World Shop
- To use any surplus moneys to promote Fair Trade and improve the livelehood of third world artisans and farmers
Sales through Hull One World Shop, which includes the sales through our network of Sale and Return people
exceeded £1,000,000 sterling in that period. (N.B. £2,500 sales in UK generates enough income in the "Third World" to support a family for a year).
With no significant infrastructure either in UK or abroad, WEFT operates through a small network of Fair Trade contacts.
Small scale donations in support of practical projects have included:
- Contributing towards an extractor fan for bead makers in rural Ghana
- Helping to drill a borehole well in Zimbabwe
- Contributing towards a micro-credit scheme in a village in Uganda
- Contributing towards a coffee bean washing station in Bukonzo, Uganda
- Contributing towards building a new home for a (Fair Trade) family in Guatemala
Current and Future Role of WEFT
From end 2011 WEFT no longer owns Hull One World, and income is expected to be minimal.
However, we will continue to support Fair Trade development by:
- Placing funds in Shared Interest.
- Making small scale loans to enable stock purchase in Fair Trade Shops
- Making small donations to Fair Trade development projects
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