Taking Action - Trade Aid Visit with Ken and Celia

Trade Aid - www.tradeaid.org.nz

Trade Aid is a not for profit organisation that promotes fair trade.

On Wednesday the 17th of August 2016 Trade Aid volunteers came to Clyde Quay School. They talked about what they volunteer for and how they help the community. Trade aid helps people out, they offer a partnership to people with no money, good talents and help them to use these talents for a good purpose.

Trade Aid is trying to prevent the exploitation of poorer communities. They are forced to sell their goods at a price that has been ripped off by other companies. Trade Aid offers these people a reasonable price for their goods, helping the communities to flourish. Trade Aid is also partnered with 80 other helpful organisations around the world including Bangladesh , Philippines and South Africa. Trade Aid is a not for profit organisation that works with such people to stop the exploitation of trade. Two people named Ken and Celia came to spoke with us and showed a little skit. It was about how people can be ripped off by rich people who only care about making a profit and not about the worker’s lives.

Trade aid is a member of the WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation), an international body of organisations who are 100% dedicated to fair trade. WFTO is a global network whose members are committed to fair trade from production to sale. It is the worldwide authority on fair trade because the members make it so.

By:

Sam

Anna

Michael Lau

Charmaine

(SAM.C table group)

Thank you Trade Aid - Making the World a Better Place

By Renee and Mei Mun.

On the 17th of August, Ken and Celia from Trade Aid came to talk to the Clyde Quay Year 7 and 8’s about their job.  On behalf of all the Year 7 and 8 students we would like to thank them for taking time out of their volunteering to come and talk to us.  They told us about how Trade Aid helps people around the world who are unable to afford things because they are living in poverty.  

One story Ken and Celia told us was about a woman, Mrs. Kosta, whose husband died from a war in Bangladesh.  She had children that she couldn’t afford to feed because she was unemployed.  Then one of Trade Aid’s partners came and offered all the woman in the area a job where they could make things with the materials provided by the company.   One of Mrs Kosta’s children, Sister Magdalena, ended up getting her master's degree in University, which she wouldn’t have been able to afford if Trade Aid hadn’t helped out.  Sister Magdalena started off as a teacher and then became a headmaster of a school of 800 children.  This is all due to Trade Aid’s help which started off by providing a job for Mrs Kosta.  

So thank you to Ken and Celia for telling us all of these stories that we will share with others.  Also good on you Trade Aid for doing this for us and the world.  You inspire us to take action!

From Renee and Mei Mun

Clyde Quay School

Rimu Whanau

Dear Ken and Celia from Trade Aid,

Thanks for coming along to Clyde Quay School and talking to the Rimu whanau about what it is that Trade Aid really does. We learnt lots and we enjoyed every part of your presentation, especially your cocoa play (and don't worry, we don’t like Mr Big). We came out of your speech feeling good about what Trade Aid does and what they have achieved around New Zealand and the World.

You've brightened up so many lives in the past 40 years that Trade Aid has been around, that's something to be very proud of. We hope this activity continues for many years to come in the future. I bet you have encouraged  tons of people from our class to shop at Trade Aid from now on, we think much differently from now on.

We are very proud that Trade Aid is a New Zealand brand because it says how nice and caring our country is, all thanks to Trade Aid! We can't believe Trade Aid has saved so many live and family's futures. Maybe we can by some of your products for the next birthday we celebrate!

Yours sincerely,

Siena and Matthew from CQS

As part of our taking action inquiry, Ken and Celia from Trade Aid came to visit Clyde Quay’s year 7 and 8 student. They explained what they do in their job, sharing their experiences working with Trade Aid.

Trade Aid is an non-profit organisation made up by 800 volunteers in New Zealand and overseas to use their talents working with Trade Aid to help others and themselves to get through poverty.  

Trade Aid has helped and supported many people living in poverty, they have changed their lives, such as the story below.  

A woman in Bangladesh with her 2 children were in poverty. They had nothing ever since her husband died in war, she didn’t have enough money to feed her children until one of Trade Aid’s partner came and offered her a job.

She could now pay her children to send them off to university and one of her children is now the head of a school, the school holds 800 students.     

By Shanshan and Zak.

On behalf of the Clyde Quay yr 7 and 8 students we would like to acknowledge Ken and Celia for giving up your time to come and share with us about the job you guys do to change the world for the best.  Thank you!

Ken and Celia from Trade Aid visited the Clyde Quay Senior School to talk about what they do to help the world’s more disadvantaged producers.  They told us about their 60 worldwide partnerships and the many types of product they help people create and sell.

In 1969, Vi and Richard Cottrell traveled from New Zealand to Northern India to meet the Tibetan Refugees who made incredible carpet that would not sell in India.  Vi and Richard decided to buy the Carpets and sell them in New Zealand to create a profit for the Refugees, and with this Trade Aid was founded.

Ken and Celia both volunteer at the Trade Aid store in Wellington 3 days a week.  Half way through their presentation they performed a skit which demonstrated Trade Aids job. Their skit showed a poor grandma who sold cocoa beans in the Dominican republic who was approached by a wealthy businessman that wanted to pay a very low price for a year's supply of beans.  Then along came Trade Aid which offered a fair amount for the beans.  With this amount of money, the grandma was now able to send her grandchildren to school.  This was how one of Trade Aid’s partnerships was established.  

Near the end of the presentation, Ken talked about his personal experiences overseas with Trade Aid.  His experiences were in Bangladesh and Peru.  All of this left us with a new mind about the world’s fair trade. The session was ended with a Waiata for Ken and Celia who inspired us to do more to support communities and families in need.   We can all do this by shopping online at the Trade Aid shop:  https://www.tradeaid.org.nz/index.php/page/shop

Recently, two Trade Aid volunteers Ken and Celia visited our school to talk about their jobs, travelling around the world to help people who are missing out on an education, good water, and all of the things that we take for granted in our everyday life. Trade Aid volunteers go around the world, and offer good prices to people who grow cocoa, or weave beautiful artworks.

This ensures that people become more financially stable, and generally live a better life. Meanwhile, Trade Aid gets these cocoa beans, flax bags, etcetera; and brings them into New Zealand, where they are sold and appreciated. However, the cocoa beans are obviously not sold by themselves, because they are mixed with sugar - that has also been traded freely. This mixture, of course, makes chocolate. And often, the chocolate that Trade Aid sells, is flavoured with spices from across the world.

         

Yesterday, the chocolate that Trade Aid made - was the main topic of discussion. Ken & Celia did a play for us, in which Ken represented a character called Mr. Biggs, who would rip cocoa harvesters off, and then later represent himself, a Trade Aid volunteer. This really just showed what they did, but the Mr. Biggs character was pretty funny (but obnoxious, of course, which is what he was designed to be).

After this talk, I thought that the Trade Aid group was a good example of making a difference. Before, I didn’t actually know who they were, even though I’ve seen their logo a lot of times. I thought that it was a really good idea for an organization, and I enjoyed the talk.

• Emilio and William

On Wednesday the 17th of August, Ken and Celia from Trade Aid came to talk to Rimu about how they support people in need all over the world.

In countries such as Tibet, the people are skilled in creating carpets, but the market for them in their country is low. Trade Aid buys the carpets off them, and sells them in the 32 stores in New Zealand. A portion of the profit left over also goes to the Tibetans so they can afford food, shelter and education for their children.

Trade Aid is also famous for their chocolate. The chocolate is made with cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic, where the farmers aren’t paid a fair price for the quality of their beans. Trade Aid will pay a reasonable price so that the farmers can afford to feed their families, and pay them a fraction of the profit at the end of the year. This also occurs in Manduvirá, Paraguay where Trade Aid gets sugar to make their chocolate.

Trade Aid has been supporting the aspirations of farmers and craftsmen/women since 1973, along with their partners Fair Trade in England, 10,000 Villages in Canada and many more. By supporting all these people in need, the world will resolve or support many of it’s severe problems, such as extreme poverty, housing, and quality education.

We can apply our new learning to our Take Action inquiry. Yes, Trade Aid is a national organisation, but we, our school whanau, can take action and improve our school environment in ways similar to Trade Aid.

Kelly and Anthea

Introduction to Trade Aid by Seraphine and Holly.

Ken and Celia from Trade Aid came to our school to talk about how Trade Aid helps people that need money.  They help people in poverty all around the world to make a better future for themselves and their family. They are working with the world trade organisation and trade companies around the world to ensure fair trade.

How Trade Organisation Works

Trade Aid goes to countries in the world where things are not fair.  People that work hard to make money get ripped off and don't get paid the right amount to survive and have an education. What Trade Aid does is buy their products or materials such as handbags, jewelry, cocoa beans or sugar which they turn into chocolate in New Zealand and many other things.  Instead of handing people money, Trade Aid works to make sure the workers get a good price. In some countries, Trade Aid teaches women skills and show them how to do things.   This helps women to have a second chance so they are able to raise money for their kids and families.

How Trade Aid Helps

Trade Aid keeps coming back to the villages to give the people that sold their amazing creations to Trade Aid to give them their profit that they make. They also help people to get back up on their feet after disaster. Trade Aid helps people until they don't need Trade Aid’s help anymore and they can make their own money. In Bangladesh, a woman had two kids to look after and she had no money to do so trade aid gave her a job and good money. Now her child is the principal of a school with 800 children!  She is now helping other kids to do different things. Thanks to Trade Aid, her kids could get an education and do something to help others.  

Some things that people made are brought over to New Zealand to be sold in our local Trade Aid shops.  New Zealanders love to buy them and the people that made those things get the profit.  Trade Aid gives them fair prices so that they can look after themselves. Also sometimes Trade Aid gives the people that work for them extra money and tells them that “this is for your village spend it on what you want. Make your village better”.  Villagers then build schools, medical centres, and wells for fresh water.  

Trade Aid makes a big difference.

Trade Aid works to solve some of our world's many problems not by handing people money but by showing them how to work and make money for themselves through trade. Trade Aid is not only helping these people they are teaching them to make enough money to give their children a good education.  Trade Aid are teaching people how to stand up for themselves and not get ripped off for their hard work.

Hannah, Mia and Rove:

On Wednesday the 17th of August, Ken and Celia from Trade Aid came to Clyde Quay School to tell the community about what they do at Trade aid and how it’s making a difference.  Ken and Celia are two in over 800 volunteers that work at Trade Aid and they love their job.  At Trade Aid, they help people that don’t have jobs by providing them a job and giving people money to make products. Once they’re finished, Trade Aid buys the products back off them, but for a fair price that both parties agree on.  This money goes towards buying food and water as well as paying for their children’s education.

After buying back the goods that the people made, Trade Aid takes the goods back to New Zealand and sell them in the 30 stores nationwide as well as in an online store.  Once they’ve sold the products that the people have made, the Trade Aid volunteers go and visit the sellers again and give them the profits from their work.  

Trade Aid have partners from all over the world that work alongside this goal of giving opportunities and fair trade to all people.  

The products they ask people to make are normally eco friendly and safe and are made from natural resources.  Also if the people don’t know how to make the products, Trade Aid helps by showing them how so the people can do the work and then get paid.  They may not be big jobs but every little job still means a lot, so Trade Aid are helping people get up on their feet so they won’t have bad lives they will have hope for their families and communities.  The people this helps are people in poor communities, poor families, refugees and people who have nothing, the possibilities go on and on, so this helps so much.  Trade Aid is making a difference and taking action.