Colorful Fair Trade Soapstone Rhinos
$11.00
Hand carved by Tabaka artisans from soapstone, these beautiful and brightly colored elephants, with trunks up, bring good luck. Makes a great ring holder as well. As each piece is hand painted, the patterns might differ from those shown in the picture, but the overall color and look of each rhino remains the same.
By buying this fair trade item, you are helping the artisans, usually women, provide for their families and send their children to school.
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Materials: natural soapstone
Size: approx 2 3/4″ x 2″ x 1 1/2″
Fair Trade
Meet the Artist: Tabaka Coop – Venture Imports
The Tabaka cooperative in partnership with Venture imports helps women like Teresa, who had no idea how she would care for her 6 children when she was widowed several years ago. The she found a job sanding stone carvings in Kisii, Kenya. The stone carvings are first chopped into shape by men using machetes and other simple hand tools, then Teresa and other women wet sand the carvings until they are perfectly smooth to the touch. With this job, Teresa and the other women, many of whom are also widowed, are able to provide for their families. It cost $140/year to send a child to school, and with this work, Teresa is able to provide an education for all of her children. Tabaka provides a model for the community by encouraging women as well as men to get involved. Tabaka saves 15% of their income to help orphans, widows, handicapped, elderly, and HIV/AIDS victims whether or not they are part of the Tabaka cooperative. In this way, the community also benefits as the group continues to look for new and innovative ways to make a positive impact.
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