This year I celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight 2021 alone shielding in London, UK.
This year the Fairtrade Foundation's campaign is about Climate Change, Fairtrade and You.
Day 1
Day 2
Meet Bernard Njoroge, Senior Programme Officer at Fairtrade Africa and Coffee Farmer.
In this video Bernard talks about the impact climate change has had on coffee farmers.
Video courtesy of the Fairtrade Foundation UK
Day 3
I participated in a webinar with actress and patron of the Fairtrade Foundation Adjoa Andoh, Actor and Fairtrade Foundation Patron, and her guests discuss the role creative expression plays in climate activism.
Guests
Tracey Zengeni
Stefan Crawford
Tolmeia Gregory
Jocelyn Longdon
Meet Marike de Peña, Managing Director of a smallholder banana co-operative called Banelino in the Dominican Republic. In this video Marike talks about how farming communities are struggling with low prices and climate change.
Day 4
I attended the webinar, Fairtrade Fortnight: Fairtrade, the climate crisis and engagement with Bournemouth University.
Attended a Music Evening with Ghanaian musician Richard Wiafe
Music Evening with Ghanaian musician Richard Wiafe - Fairtrade Fortnight 21
Many thanks to the Fairtrade Foundation team, Joanna and Fair Trade Yorkshire.
Day 6
In this video DS Preetham explains that extreme weather conditions in recent years have affected the quantity and quality of tea produced.
Meet DS Preetham, Fairtrade Officer at the United Nilgiri Tea Estate Company Ltd in India.
Day 7
I attended a webinar with Patrick Kaberia a tea farmer and Bernard Njoroje a coffee farmer from Fairtrade Africa.
This session was hosted by Chief Executive of the Fairtrade Foundation
Mr Michael Gidney
Chief Executive of the Fairtrade Foundation Michael Gidney
Bernard Njoroge
Patrick with his son and wife Lydia
Day 8
My Fairtrade Fortnight Message in Urdu
My Fairtrade Fortnight Message in English
Day 9
I attended a webinar titled Fair Focus: Boosting Supply Chain Climate Resilence with guest speakers. This session was hosted by Katie Burgess, Commercial Director at Fairtrade Foundation.
Cathryn Higgs, Head of Food Policy, Co-op
Cheryl Pinto, Values Led Sourcing Manager, Ben & Jerry’s
John Steel, CEO, Cafédirect
Anne-Marie Yao, Fairtrade Africa’s Regional Cocoa Manager for Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, member of Fairtrade Foundation board
We all love our planet and are concerned about how it's being damaged. As people and communities of faith, we have distinct opportunities for contributing locally and nationally to the fight against climate change. But are we fully exploiting them?
Our panellists will begin the session by introducing how their faith communities have developed campaigns and actions in response to climate change. Questions and further ideas will then be invited from the audience. The aim is that everyone leaves with new ideas to take back to their communities.
Our panellists:
Ali Akbar Islam
Keith Munnings Buddhism
Yvonne Ripley Christianity
Eve Sacker Judaism
Gagan Singh Sikhi
We all share a common concern for our planet, so the focus is less on exploring beliefs, and more about mobilising people into action.
Many thanks to all the guest speakers and the Chaplaincy at Derby University for a brilliant informative webinar.
Day 10
I attended a webinar with Kool Skools founder Andy Ashcroft and CEO of Dibella India, Sreeranga Rajan.
Overwhelmed by such a powerful presentation by Mr Rajan.
Day 10 continued
In the evening I attended a Truffle Chocolate Webinar with my dear friend, chocolatier and chef Mr David Greenwood-Haigh.
Truffle making webinar hosted by Joanna Pollard and chef and chocolatier Mr David Greenwood-Haigh - Fairtrade Fortnight 21
Day 11
This morning I attended a live Youtube webinar with my friends at Kirklees Libraries, author and Project Manager at the Lorna Young Foundation Christina Longden and father of the fairtrade towns movement Bruce Crowther MBE talk about his new book 'Not in my lifetime.'
Later that evening I attended a webinar organised by the Fair Trade Wales team titled 'Climate Justice for a Fairer World.'
Fair Trade Wales, Climate Justice for a Fairer World webinar- Fairtrade Fortnight 21
Day 12
I attended a webinar titled 'Fairtrade in the time of Covid'
This webinar was organised by York Fair Trade Forum and guest speakers were
Immaculate and Kodzo from Shared Interest Foundation.
Day 13
I attended the Climate Change Garden webinar with guest speakers.
The event was hosted by the Fairtrade Foundation.
Rachel Twamasi-Corson - Co Founder Afrocentrix
Chris Warburton-Brown - Climate Action Coordinator, the Permaculture Association
Tom Hunt - Eco-Chef, New Visual Art and Author
Mr TSG Pinto - Chamraj Tea
DS Preetham - Operations Manager, Chamraj Tea
I also attended an Indian Dance Workshop showcasing Bhangra and Bollywood Dance with Avtar Panesar and Joanna Pollard.
This event was organised by Fairtrade Connections Community Arts Festival.
Day 14
I dressed up as a fairtrade banana to support fairtrade banana producers around the world.
Supporting fairtrade banana producers for fairtrade fortnight 21 -
Sabeena Ahmed
Day 15
I celebrated International Women's Day 2021
International Women's Day 2021 with Sabeena Ahmed - #AllForFairTrade #WomenOfFairTrade #ChooseToChallenge #IWD2021 #WomensDay2021 #InternationalWomensDay2021
International Women's Day 2021 with Sabeena Ahmed - #AllForFairTrade #WomenOfFairTrade #ChooseToChallenge #IWD2021 #WomensDay2021 #InternationalWomensDay2021
This year Fairtrade Fortnight United Kingdom was held from 22 February to 7 March 2021
The Fairtrade Foundation 2021 UK's campaign is to show of support for the farmers behind our food on the front line of the climate crisis.
The hashtag is #CHOOSETHEWORLDYOUWANT and #CLIMATECHANGE.
A quick reminder I was so pleased to learn about the House of Commons UK also supported Fairtrade Fortnight 2020.
Fairtrade Fortnight 2020 at the House of Commons, UK
This is question I get asked the most when people meet me.
Last year I was fortunate to visit Ms Moon Sharma of Tara Projects, Dehli, India and conducted a wonderful interview with her in English and Hindi/Urdu.
In this interview Ms Sharma explains what Fairtrade is in Hindi/Urdu.
What is Fairtrade, Fairtrade Kya Hai? Hindi/Urdu
Here is a lovely diagram produced by Traidcraft
For two weeks each year, thousands of individuals, companies and groups across the UK come together to celebrate the people who grow our food, people who live in some of the poorest countries in the world and who are often exploited and badly paid.
As the only fairtrade campaigner in the United Arab Emirates since 2008 I have been supporting fairtrade fortnight and hope my blogs will inspire others to get involved and support fairtrade.
This year the Fairtrade Foundation are focusing on in a show of support for the farmers behind our food on the front line of the climate crisis.
This years Fairtrade Fortnight Campaign is Choose The World You Want.
Farmers and workers in countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Honduras, who have done the least to contribute to climate change, are disproportionately affected by it. They have told us that:
The climate crisis is an immediate and ever-increasing threat and those in climate vulnerable countries are already seeing its impacts from droughts and crop disease to floods, heatwaves and shrinking harvests.
Source and Credit The Fairtrade Foundation UK
For those interested I've posted photographs of Fairtrade Fortnight 2019 and 2020 for you to view at your leisure.
Thank you to my sister Irem and fairtrade friends in the UAE for modelling the fairtrade bag and supporting Fairtrade Fortnight 2019 and 2020 with me in Dubai, UAE.
Irem Ahmed models the Fairtrade Foundation UK bag for
Fairtrade Fortnight 2020, Dubai, UAE
Irem Ahmed models the big Fairtrade Chocolate Bar Resource for
Fairtrade Fortnight 2020, Dubai, UAE
Irem Ahmed models her fairtrade story bomb for
Fairtrade Fortnight 20, Dubai, UAE
Many thanks to my gorgeous playwright friends who agreed to be photographed for Fairtrade Fortnight 2019.
Thank you Brenda, Tvisha, Ashwarya, Padmini, Edwige, Deborah and Julia.
The gorgeous ladies celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight Dubai 2019
Edwige celebrates Fairtrade Fortnight 2019, Dubai, UAE
SHOW OFF YOUR FAIRTRADE LABEL AND SUPPORT FAIRTRADE
Sabeena Ahmed celebrates Fairtrade Fortnight 2019, Dubai, UAE
Happy and proud to support female cocoa farmers like Rosine Bekoin of the CAYAT Co-operative, Côte d'Ivoire.
During the pandemic I'd like to express my gratitude, respect and support for fairtrade farmers, producers and friends.
Love and regards
Sabeena
Sabeena Ahmed celebrates Fairtrade Fortnight 2020, Dubai, UAE -
Fairtrade Resource of Fairtrade bag
Sabeena Ahmed celebrates Fairtrade Fortnight 2020, Dubai, UAE -
If you would like to support fair trade please read about fair trade coffee, cotton, tea, sugar, bananas, gold, flowers or chocolate and get involved.
Please read the following links
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Buying-Fairtrade/Bananas
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Buying-Fairtrade/Chocolate
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Buying-Fairtrade/Coffee
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Buying-Fairtrade/Gold
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Buying-Fairtrade/Cotton
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Buying-Fairtrade/Flowers
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Buying-Fairtrade/Sugar
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Buying-Fairtrade/Tea
SHOW OFF YOUR FAIRTRADE LABEL AND SUPPORT FAIRTRADE
Sabeena Ahmed and The Little Fair Shop in the United Arab Emirates
This month I supported fairtrade fortnight 2024 and celebrated Fairtrade's 30th Anniversary.
This month my right shoulder is still very painful and I have struggled to record this vlog and type this blog.
I finally managed to record videos for my Six Items Challenge 2024 and upload them to my YouTube Channel.
Translation in Urdu