Putting Humanity Back Into Business: The HUB Global Village

Wouldn’t you love to buy coffee that helped build water catchment systems in a once contaminated village? Wouldn’t it feel great to purchase a necklace, knowing you just provided the funds for a woman in Africa to receive AIDS medication? Baskets, earrings, cards, handbags, coffee, shea butter skin care products, tablemats, candles, carvings and quilts are just some of the products you will find in HUB’s Global Village.

Fair trade is a catalyst for putting humanity back into business. This means that the worker is paid a fair living wage that can provide education, health care, and nutrition for them and their families. When you buy fair trade products, you are buying goods where "bottom line" was not the only consideration. Cultural identity is preserved and tradition is held sacred. Men and women are seen as equals in the workforce giving women an important voice in their community and in the global economy. For example, a tribe of Masai women living south of Nairobi, in Kenya contribute beautiful beaded jewelry, belts and coasters using funding from a HUB microloan. Each purchase supports the rescue of Masai girls from forced marriage and FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), and contributes to their education and the subsequent support of an entire village.

Need a perfect gift to show your friends that they're important in your life? Choose an exquisite carving from one piece of soapstone, of friends whose arms are joined together, and support a fair wage for soapstone miners throughout Kenya. These artisans mine the soapstone using simple tools in an area called Kisii. The earth around the stones is returned and after several years the mineral deposits begin to form new stones. Each item is hand carved, sanded and then polished to a lustrous finish. Headed by strong, determined women, the carving groups employ over 1000 artisans. One leader, Pauline Ntombura, was the first girl in her family of 20 brothers and sisters to learn to read and she not only provides consistent, fair wages to her employees, but also ensures their living conditions are decent and helps them meet their needs for health care and their children's education.

The HUB Global Village showcases innovative, wonderfully-crafted products unlike anything you can buy in a store. Some are produced in small villages around the world and some by HUB’s Impact Partners like Youth Action International, a youth run organization established to promote and implement programs aimed at making the world a better place for children and future generations. You can now purchase these fair trade products, making a positive impact on the world and saying “yes” to a planet that puts people first.